On my Own Maybe Not
by Shadow Dogma
Summary: Au. Rachel's dads die when she is eight, and Shelby was never notified. She ends up in the system. When she is fourteen she decides to run away and find her mother. Along the way she meets a rather interesting new friend that helps her.
1. Hell I'm Living

**This is my first fanfiction so I would really appreciate it if you could leave a comment or two. I would love the encouragement and I really do want to be a better writer so advice would be nice. Constructive criticism is welcome, bullying is not.**

**The point of view may or may not change after I finish with the introductions so if you don't like this style of writing it may change. This chapter is also a lot of Rachel just rambling, but a lot of what she says is vital for the setup of this story, so bear with me for now. **

I Rachel Barbra Berry used to have almost everything. I had a stable and loving home life, and anything I ever asked for I was given. Now, I'm not saying that I was an ungrateful little brat, but I was definitely never in want of anything. I prefer to use the term privileged diva. But none of that really matters now. If you didn't notice the use of past tense earlier, well take notice now, because that wonderful life I used to have no longer exists.

This hell that I'm now living all started because some incompetent imbecile fell asleep while smoking a cigarette. Seriously! How in Barbra's name do you fall asleep smoking a cigarette! Urrg! Any ways, that incompetent imbecile happened to be my parents' lawyer Mr. Grossman. I know I should feel bad and I do a little. I mean I'm not heartless and vindictive person. Mr. Grossman did lose his entire building and all of his files in the fire; not to mention the smoke inhalation and burns that he received, but it was completely his own fault.

Another thing on Mr. Grossman is that I swear he had Dementia, or Alzheimer's, or both, because he could barely remember who he was having a current conversation with let alone anything that was said ten minutes ago. I mean it's a real possibility. He was eighty-four at the time.

Enough of my rambling. The reason any of this important is that because of said fire my Dads had to have a meeting with Mr. Grossman to redraw up a contract that had been lost. You see being as they are gay they could not have a child together, so they put an ad in the newspaper for a surrogate/egg donor. Several months later I was born. But before my birth they made my mother sign a contract that said that she could not contact me until I was eighteen.

For an eight year old kid I was of rather advanced intelligence, but it was not until several years later that I truly understood the implications of said document; implications that I later came to loath. How dare they dictate who got to be in my life or not! But again it doesn't really matter, because on the way to see Mr. Grossman they were involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver. One died instantly, the other died on the way to the hospital.

I was unharmed due to the fact that I was at home with my babysitter. They felt that I would grow bored and restless while they discussed the legal papers. That intuition saved my life, although with the life I'm living now I don't know if that was for the best.

My parents had no living relatives that I could be sent to live with and Mr. Grossman was such a dinosaur that he couldn't remember his own breakfast, so no one knew my mother's identity. I was obviously never told it; so I ended up in the system. Let me tell you it sucks.

I was a scared, lonely, grief-stricken eight year old that didn't know what to do. For the first couple of years I was moved from foster house to foster house. Some of them were worse than others. I was often beaten for crying too much, for talking too much, or for just even being alive.

I often went to bed hungry as a punishment for something that I usually never even did. Sometimes the foster "parents", note my use of quotations, did it for the same reasons they beat me, and sometimes it was because they had already spent the money to feed their addictions and habits, rather than to feed us.

I soon learned that the more you avoided them the better off you were. The houses where they never paid you any attention were always better than the ones that did.

When I was ten I thought that I was finally catching a break. There was a couple in Seattle that wanted to adopt me. Their last daughter had recently gone away to college and they felt that their house was too empty, but the man felt they were too old to raise a baby. They compromised and decided to adopt an older child, which is rare. I was never in any serious trouble so it was an easy choice to pick me over many of the other children.

At that time I had been at a home in Springfield, Illinois. I had slowly been making my way west as I jumped from foster house to foster house. They had been visiting their daughter Chelsea, who was attending Benedictine University there, and thought that if they chose a child from the area, then she would get a say in who her little sister would be.

I was thrilled at first. Everyone in the system knows that being adopted is the best thing that can happen. You don't have to worry anymore because these people don't want you for government money; they want you because they want someone to love.

They brought me back to their home in Seattle. I was happy for a while. I had my own room, my own toys, I was never hungry, and the woman was always supper nice. But the man never set right in the pit of my stomach. He was always giving me strange looks and leers. I never felt comfortable with him around.

My brief happiness ended one night while I was lying in bed half asleep. Before I knew what was happening he had a gag around my mouth and was trying to pull my clothes off. Thankfully I managed to wiggle the gag off and let out a scream. He smacked me upside the head real good but it was too late. His wife came in seconds later to the horrific scene.

He was charged with attempted rape of a minor and I was removed and put back into the system. I have always felt bad for the woman. She had been a very kind and giving person. To go through life with someone for almost thirty years only to find out too late what kind of monster they are with your own eyes must have been extremely difficult.

I was only there for three months but I wish that those three months had never happened. It would have been easier that way. Regardless, I was glad I was rid of that house and that man, but that meant I was back to square one again. For the last four years I have gone from foster house to orphanage, to foster house to orphanage again. It's a vicious cycle that only ends when you turn eighteen.

I often cry myself to sleep at night. I do so quietly now unlike the screeching sobs that racked by body when I first entered the system. I had learned quickly that crying didn't bring you comfort, it only brought you pain. My dreams are filled with nightmares of the attempted rape, of monsters from dark corners; even my dads' deaths haunt my unconscious state.

But every once in a while I have a dream that calms me. I dream of an older woman who looks very much like myself, although her face is still a blurred image. She has my hair and the voice of an angel. Her songs I hear in my head lull me to sleep when I have a particularly terrible day. Without her I know that I would be dead by now. She gives me strength to carry on. She is my savior. That angel is my mother. I know it is. I can just tell. Sometimes it feels as though she is calling me to her, and go to her is just what I plan to do.

I really have no idea what I'm doing. I have very little money, hardly any survival skills, I have really no information on my mother, and I'm only fourteen so I can't drive. This really seems to be doomed to fail from the beginning. There is one I have going for me though. I am determined. When I set my mind and heart to something then I get it. This time will be no exception, because I Rachel Barbra Berry am going to find my mother and nothing will stop me.

**I thank you for taking time to** **read my first chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up. I will try to get it up quickly. The next chapter will have Shelby in it. Please review. Thank you again. – Shadow Dogma**

**ps. I don't yet know what pairings there will be, but I know that there will be Shelby/Will.**


	2. On my Own

**I want to thank all of you who have reviewed and marked my story as a favorite or an alert. Please keep them coming. I just want to say it may be a while before Rachel actually meets her mom. She has some detective work to do first as well as some personal growth. This is supposed to be a journey about life, family, and friendship. I don't know how it turned out but I hope you like it. I also forgot to put a disclaimer on the first chapter, so here it is: ****I do not own Glee.**

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Beep! Beep! Beep! _Slap! _"Uhhh" I groan as my alarm goes off for the third time in a row. I want so badly to hit the snooze button again, but I know that if I do I will be late to school. Again. I'm pretty sure the only reason Mr. Figgins hasn't fired me yet is because he's afraid of me; that and the fact that I'm a national champion show choir director. I have won four consecutive national championships. That's not exactly easy to find, especially in Ohio. I also happen to bring in a lot of funding from my sponsors; something William McKinley High School could really use.

I did lose some of my sponsors this summer when I decided to jump ship and move from Akron to Lima. Guess they thought that even I didn't have a chance at nationals with the New Directions. Most of my good sponsors stayed with me though; and these New Direction kids are way less materialistic than the Vocal Adrenaline kids were.

I sigh as I roll over and climb out of bed, already feeling a migraine coming on as I walk towards my bathroom to get ready for the day. I shower quickly and throw on a simple business suit with a red blouse. Taking a huge gulp of coffee I hum in satisfaction, feeling the liquid energy already ebb away at my headache. Maybe today won't be too bad.

Reaching for my keys I spot the date on my calendar and the momentary relief I felt before goes out the window as the pain comes back even stronger. Only this time, my heart aches as well and I know no amount of caffeine will help.

Today is the eighteenth of December. The day my baby was born. The day my heart was ripped from my chest. Closing my eyes I pinch the bridge of my nose as I contemplate calling in sick. I sigh as I decide against it, knowing that it will only hurt more if I don't do something to distract myself.

"Four more years Shelby. Just four more years and you can finally see your baby again." I repeat out loud in a quiet whisper over and over as I drag myself to my Range Rover still left over from my days at Carmel High. My feet feel about a thousand times heavier now.

I can't help but listen to I Dreamed a Dream as a make my way to school. I don't know why I do this to myself. Every year on this day I make myself listen to this song and a whole list of other songs that I have put together that only remind me of the daughter I have never met. My sister says I do it as punishment because I feel guilty for giving her up. I'm starting to think she's right.

When I finally make it to the choir room the pain in my head instantly triples as I find Will, my friend, co-director, and sometimes lover, in a full blown shouting match with none other than Sue Sylvester. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have stayed home after all.

"Ms. Corcoran! Will you PLEEEASE tell Santana here that her voice is OBVIOUSLY not right to sing the solo, and that mine is most definitely the best choice for the song!?" Mercedes is in my face before I can even begin to process what is happening.

"Oh please! I'm a way better singer than you Whitney-wannabe." Santana's yelling back from the other side other the room flanked by Quinn and Brittany wearing their ever present Cheerio's uniforms.

"Oh hells to no! You did not just…"

"Why don't you guys let someone else do the solo this time?" interrupts Kurt.

"Like you Lady Hummel? Please…." Santana's snapping at Kurt, Quinn is throwing daggers at Finn, Mike and Tina are arguing with each other, and I've stopped listening to all of them now. My head is throbbing, I really don't want to deal with a bunch of teenage divas right now, I still have no idea what Will and Sue are fighting over, and where in the world is Puck? This is going to be a really, really long day. I should have stayed home.

* * *

Okay. So maybe deciding to run away in the middle of winter was not my smartest idea, but there is no way I'm going back now. The nuns at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Orphanage would tan my hide if I ever showed my face there again after running away. They have never liked me, but that may have to do with the fact that I'm not Catholic, or even Christian for that matter. I have no idea what the government was thinking sending a Jewish girl to live with a bunch of nuns.

I will just have to suck it up and deal with the cold. Thankfully Seattle doesn't get snow very often and when it does snow it only lasts a day or two. Instead Seattle seems to be in a constant state of grey skies and rain. Which is not that great either, but it means that the temperature is usually above freezing.

It's after one thirty in the morning right now and the buses have stopped running so I really need to find somewhere warm to sleep or at least sit and wait until they start running again at five. Oh who am I kidding? The only places open right now are either bars or places that will throw me out after ten minutes without buying anything. Maybe I should just go ahead and walk to the King Street Train station. That way I don't waste any of what little money I do have on a twenty minute bus ride or a handful of Kit-Kat bars I don't want.

Every weekend for the last three months, when I first decided to run away, I would go down to the Pike Place Market and sing for money. I only have a total of 476 dollars. It would be more if the nuns had allowed me to go there on Sundays. Apparently it's a requirement at the Orphanage to attend Mass even if you're not Catholic.

I always keep my money on me. When I was nine I learned that you never let your money out of sight when you are living at an orphanage or a foster house. I once made ten bucks helping an older woman on our street clean her house. I had put my money in my dresser drawer before bed, and when I awoke in the morning it was gone. Don't even think about complaining about the stolen money either; it only gets you a beating from the "parents" who call you a liar or the other kids who name you a snitch.

Sighing I pull my thin rose colored jacket tighter around my frame and start up the street toward the station. I don't know how far the money will get me, but the closer to Lima, Ohio the better. I can always try to make more money along the way. I also need to remember to save some money for food. A couple of sleeves of crackers and a half dozen boxes of raisins are not going to last long.

Its fifteen minutes later that I notice that the three people behind me have been following me for some time. "This is not good." mumbling quietly to myself, I quicken my pace as I search for a more populated area to head toward. I spot a night club's sign a couple blocks ahead, but before I can even take another step I'm violently hauled backwards by my backpack. Letting out a strangled scream of protest, I twist to face my attackers.

Clearly angered by the ruckus I'm making, one of them aggressively shoves my head into the brick wall of the alley they have drug me down. I let out another cry, this time of pain. My head feels fuzzy, I can feel a warm sticky liquid running down the side of my forehead and I can't see straight. They take my backpack and my 476 dollars from my pocket.

I'm starting to losing consciousness now, but I think they're gone. Oh no. I hear footsteps. One of them is coming back. I feel a pair of arms close around me and my final thoughts before I slip into unconsciousness are "This is it. This is the end."

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**Thank you for reading. Sorry for ending it with a cliff hanger, but it seemed like the best place to stop. Please tell me what you guys thought. Remember constructive criticism is welcome, bullying is not. **

**Next chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow or the day after. No promises. Shelby will make a reappearance, and there might be some Shell in the chapter as well. Thank you again. - Shadow Dogma**


	3. Maybe Not

**I'm really glad that you all seem to be enjoying my story so much. I want to thank all of you who have been reviewing, alerting, and marking as a favorite. I'm sorry about the cliff hanger last time, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. It's the longest chapter I have written yet. I don't know how great I am at writing dialogue so let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions please tell me. Thanks again.**

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Glee.**

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"_When you walk through a storm hold your head up high_

_And don't be afraid of the dark_

_At the end of the storm there's a golden sky_

_And the sweet silver song of a lark"_

I hear my mother singing Barbra Streisand's cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone".

"_Walk on through the wind_

_Walk on through the rain_

_Though your dreams be tossed and blown_

_Walk on, walk on" _

I'm standing in a meadow about fifty feet from her and the willow tree she stands under. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing wildly through her hair.

"_When you walk through the storm hold your head up high_

_And don't be afraid of the dark_

_At the end of the storm there's a golden sky_

_And the sweet silver song of a lark"_

She's holding her hands out now, beckoning me to her.

"_Walk on through the wind_

_Walk on through the rain_

_Though your dreams be tossed and blown_

_Walk on, walk on with hope, hope in your heart_

_And you'll never walk alone"_

I'm moving towards her now, holding my own arms out to her.

"_If the real thing don't do the trick_

_You better make up something quick_

_You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it out to the wick_

_Aren't you, Barracuda?"_

I stop. Confusion is written all over my face. "What is she singing? That doesn't sound like her." I think to myself. She starts to fade away to black. I'm screaming for her, "Nooo! Stop! No! Don't go! I need you!"

I see nothing now, but the song continues to play in the darkness as I begin to feel a dull throbbing in my head. Opening my eyes I find the worn back of a car seat only inches in front of my face.

I move my head slightly, which increases the pain in my head, but I need to figure out where I am. Looking up I see the head of the driver of the vehicle. Oh no. I've been kidnapped! The muggers have kidnapped me. I need to get out of here. Wait. I don't remember any of them having long hair.

The driver's singing along now.

"_"Sell me sell you" the porpoise said_

_Dive down deep to save my head_

_You, I think you got the blues too_

_All that night and all the next_

_Swam without looking back_

_Made for the western pools, silly fools!"_

I also don't remember any of them being a woman. Reaching up to grasp my head I feel a gauze pad taped over where my head had made contact with the wall. I shakily sit up and find myself in the back seat of an old Ford pickup with someone's dark brown leather jacket wrapped around my shoulders. There is also an old fleece blanket draped over my body. The woman turns her head to look at me when she hears the movements behind her.

She is young; late teens early twenties if I had to guess. Her dark brown hair is about the same length as mine and her green eyes shine with mischief. She sends me a smirk as she turns her head back to the road and continues singing the last lines of the song.

"_If the real thing don't do the trick_

_You better make up something quick_

_You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it out to the wick_

_Barracuda"_

When the guitar stops playing, she turns off the radio and glances back at me again. "How does your head feel Mausi?" she asks as her eyes turn back to stare through the windshield.

"Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here? Why do I have gauze on my forehead?" I'm firing off so many questions I don't know if I can't remember them all. I don't even know if they make any sense. My head is swimming, my vision is still a little blurred, the throbbing has intensified and I have no idea what is going on right now.

She chuckles clearly amused. "Slow down, you are going to make your headache worse if you do not." She pauses for a minute before she speaks again. "To answer your questions, we are currently traveling on I-5 towards Olympia, you are here because I found you unconscious in an alley, and you have gauze on your head to protect your abrasion from an infection." She pauses again then adds as an afterthought, "Well that, and I did not want you bleeding all over my back seat."

"Oh." I reply trying to absorb the information. "Why didn't you take me to a hospital or to the police?"

"Your wounds are not severe enough to need an emergency room. I am a doctor, so I can handle them just fine by myself. As for not taking you to the police; it was an educated guess that you would not want them involved."

Well that answers one thing. She has to be in her twenties to be a doctor. Wait. "What do you mean educated guess that I wouldn't want the police involved?"

She chuckles again before she replies, "First off, there is no way that any parent would let someone your age be out at nearly two in the morning by themselves, so you are obviously running away from someone or something. And second, your t-shirt has a patch on it that says Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Orphanage, and I know no nun would let you out at night that late either. You are clearly running away from the system. A hint for next time, do not wear the orphanage shirt. It makes it obvious."

"My jacket covers the patch thank you very much." I reply in a snarky tone.

"What would you have done had you gotten hot?"

"Its winter." I say smartly.

"It's not always cold indoors." She counters.

I huff in frustration knowing that she has me there, when a thought occurs to me. "Why didn't you bring me back though?"

She looks at me with clouded eyes before answering, "The system is not a great place for kids. It screws a lot of them up." She lets out a sort of half laugh then says, "You are also Jewish and staying at a Catholic orphanage. What is up with that?"

I look at her confusion. How does she know that I'm Jewish?

My confusion must have been evident on my face, because she's explaining now, "Your necklace, it has a regular star on it and then a Star of David. The muggers must not have seen it or they would have taken it."

"Oh." My hand reaches up to grasp the little necklace around my neck.

"Where did you get it? It's real gold and looks to be a pretty high carat as well." She asks.

Despite my apprehensions, I find myself replying, "The gold star was given to me by my birth mother and the Star of David was given to me by my dads."

"Birth mother? Dads?" she questions.

"They were gay and she was their surrogate/egg donor." I answer back.

"Is that who you are running away to? Your mother?"

I nod my head and reply, "Yes."

She hums in contemplation, and then asks, "What is your name?"

"Rachel Barbra Berry." I pause for a second or two before I ask her the same question. "What's yours?"

"3M."

"What kind of name is 3M?" I find myself saying before I can process what I'm thinking. It was rude how I said it and I hope she doesn't take offense. Me and my loud mouth.

A full blown laugh leaves her mouth instead as she retorts, "What kind of name is Rachel?" She pauses, "It's a nickname."

I sigh, relieved that I hadn't offend her. "Soooo? What's your real name?"

She glances back and sends me a smirk again before answering, "Maddalyn Maria Mauer. It means magnificent bitter wall."

"Oh. 3M."

"3M."

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes as I take in everything that has happened. Can I trust her? Or should I make a break for it as soon as possible? I have no money now, and she did help me before. She also didn't turn me in. I look up and find her concerned eyes watching me with the rearview mirror. Making my decision I climb over the seat careful not to bump my tender head on the ceiling, and buckle myself in. I need all the help I can get at this point.

She breaks the quiet with a question that I knew would come up at some point. I had hoped it would be later rather than sooner. "How long have you been in the system?"

I sigh, "Since I was eight. I'm fourteen."

"How?" She asks, not needing to expound. I know what she means.

"Car crash."

The silence descends around us again, but it's not as comfortable as before. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

"_If the real thing don't do the trick_

_You better make up something quick_

_You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it out to the wick_

_Barracuda"_

She's lightly singing the song that was playing earlier.

"What song is that?" I'm unable to resist anything music related.

"Barracuda. It's by the band Heart. They are actually from Washington." She replies. "Do you like music?"

"Do I like music? I LOVE it! Especially Broadway. I'm going to be on stage one day. My goal is to have a Tony by the time I'm twenty-five." I always tell my dream to anyone who is willing to listen.

"So you are a singer, huh? Well I just so happen to have a Barbra Streisand CD on me. Any good Broadway fan should know Funny Girl. Do you mind giving me a little bit of a demonstration?" She says.

"Of course not. I would love to." She puts the disc in an obviously aftermarket player and turns the volume up.

"Sing away Mausi." As the first notes to My Man start to play, I decide that maybe this isn't so bad after all.

* * *

I've been staring at my living room ceiling for three hours now. I can't tell if the reason my vision is staring to blur is because my eyes are tired of looking at the same thing for so long, or if it was the Aleve and the two glasses of wine I had earlier. Probably not the smartest thing to do on an empty stomach, but I could really care less right now.

By some miracle I had made it through the rest of the school day without dropping over dead, or worse, killing one of my students. I came home and wrote a letter to my daughter like I do every year. I also write one to her whenever anything special ever happens. Callbacks, Sectionals, Regionals, Nationals, after break ups, just whenever I need to let my feelings out and my sister won't do. I have a box full of them. When I finally get to meet her, I plan on giving the box to her so she will know how much I love her. How much I hurt not being able to know her.

After I finished with the letter I popped two Aleve for my headache, which was made worse by the crying I had done while writing, and started in on my first glass of wine. I flopped down onto my couch and I've been here ever since. Hearing my doorbell ring I decide to ignore it. I know who it is anyways and I really do not have the energy to talk to him right now.

I let out an aggravated sigh and close my eyes, as I hear my front door opening. I never should have given him a key.

"Shelby?" He calls out coming down the hallway towards my living room.

"Maybe I didn't answer the door because I wanted to be left alone." I snap, hoping he will take the hint and leave. No such luck. Opening my eyes I find his head hovering over mine with a look of concern. If I wasn't so irritated I might have caved with how adorable he looks right now. Instead I send him the most menacing glare I can muster. I think it came out more like a grimace though.

"We need to go over the set lists for the assembly next Friday." He says, but I know that's not what he really wants to talk about.

I sigh before replying, "Give Tina the solo. She has a great voice and I want to be able to showcase it at regionals, but she needs more power. Giving her the solo will boost her confidence and give her what she's lacking. Have Finn and Quinn sing the duet together and give Mercedes and Santana the lead within the group number." I send him another glare. "Set list finished. Now can you please leave?"

I'm trying to be civilized but I don't know how long I have before I blow up.

"Okay." He says hesitantly, and then continues, "Are you okay? This whole week you've been really tense and quiet. Is something bothering you?"

I let out a sarcastic laugh then level a look at him, "I don't want to talk about it." I'm hoping that is the end of our discussion. It's not.

"Fine. Then we won't talk, but I'm making you dinner." He's heading towards my kitchen now.

"How do you know I haven't eaten yet?" I'm grasping at straws to find a way to make him go.

His head pops back around the door to my kitchen and he flashes me a smirk. "Because I know you Shelby. You went straight to the wine when you got home, and I bet you haven't move from the couch in hours." His head disappears again as I begin to hear pots and pans being moved around.

As I listen to his smooth voice singing You and I by Michael Bublé, I can't decide if I'm grateful for Will to be here, or if I want to take my scarf and strangle the man.

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**Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think. Next chapter should be up sometime soon. And if you were wondering why 3M keeps calling Rachel ****Mausi****, it will be explained later, or you can just google what it means if you really want to know. – Shadow Dogma**


	4. Breakfast and a Conversation

**Thank you for all the reviews and feedback. Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. Unfortunately there is no Shelby in this chapter, but she will be in the next along with some of the New Directions. I just want to say that I know Rachel is a vegan in the show, but it seemed unreasonable for her to be one when she's been in the system for so long. You can't exactly choose what you want to eat there; you just eat what you're given. I might make her a vegetarian later on though. Thanks again.**

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Glee.**

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"Hey. Mausi. Wake up. Rachel. Raaachel." Someone is calling to me. I open my eyes to find that we have stopped in some truck stop parking lot. The sky is also starting to brighten in the east. Turning my head I see 3M looking at me with a small smile on her face. "Have a good nap Mausi?"

I blink my eyes a couple of times trying to wake myself up fully then reply, "Yeah. I did." I glance at my surroundings once more before I turn back to 3M. "Where are we?"

"Portland."

"Oh. What time is it?" I'm attempting to get my bearings.

"It is a little after six thirty. You have been asleep for about an hour." She nods her head towards the restaurant, "I figured you might be hungry. I know I am."

"That sounds great. I'm starving." I say enthusiastically.

She chuckles lightly as she opens her door and climbs out. "Come on."

We head inside and grab a little booth in the corner. There are a number of truck drivers already up and eating their breakfasts, but it's relatively quiet. Within seconds of us sitting down we're hand our menus by an older waitress that looks like something out of a cartoon. She's wearing a short yellow dress with a white apron, her hair is permed in such a way that I can only describe it as an eighties do, she has a pencil stuck in it near her ear and she's loudly popping a piece of bubblegum.

"Wha'da wanna drink?" She asks which only adds to her comical persona.

"Coffee please. And Black thank you." 3M says immediately.

"For you sugar?" The waitress asks turning to look at me. I hesitate unsure if I'm allowed to get a drink or not.

"Order anything you want. I do not mind."

I send 3M a grateful smile, "Can I get a hot chocolate please?"

"Sure thing." She turns walking off to get our drinks and to wait on her other customers.

"Thank you for paying for me." I tell 3M truly appreciative of what she's doing.

"You do not have to thank me."

"Oh, but I do. You have already done so much for me and I know food isn't that cheap." I say nearly interrupting her.

She smiles at me then gets a look of contemplation on her face. "Okay. So think of this as a loan. You can pay me back when you are a big Broadway star." She holds her hand out to me over the table, "Deal?"

It seems like a fair deal to me. "Deal." We shake hands then we both grab our menus and begin to browse through them.

About five minutes later the waitress, I think her name is Nancy, comes back and sets our drinks in front of us.

"What'll it be?" she asks.

Again 3M is first to reply, "I will have the cinnamon apple oatmeal with a bowl of fruit. Thank you." Nancy takes the pencil out of her hair and writes down the order as she turns to me.

"Can I please get the veggie omelet with whole wheat toast, and could you hold the hash browns?" I order.

"Sure thing darling." She write down my order, "That'll be right out." Leaving our table I hear her call out to the cooks in the back. They get into a little bit of an argument, but it seems more like they are bickering for fun than actually fighting. I angle my head and stare at 3M trying to figure her order out.

She looks at me then exclaims, "What?"

"I thought you would go for the country fried steak; you just seem more like a meat and potatoes kind of person to me, not an oatmeal eater." I respond.

Chuckling, "I do enjoy my meat and potatoes, but I keep myself on a strict diet to remain strong and healthy." We sit in silence for a while, but I have never liked the quiet very much. It always makes me feel uncomfortable.

"Soooo? How old are you?" I ask to break the silence and because I'm generally curious about the woman who saved me.

"Twenty-three."

"I thought you said that you're a doctor?" I'm confused now. Maybe I heard her wrong last night since my head was so fuzzy.

"I am a doctor."

"Isn't that a little young to be a doctor?" I ask.

Smiling she replies, "I have an extremely high IQ. I skipped several grades and entered college at a rather young age."

"What's your IQ?" I'm very interested now.

"195."

What! "How? What? That's! I…"

She's laughing now. "Yes. You are in the midst of a true genius."

I've recovered now, "At what age did you graduate?"

Before answering she takes a sip of her coffee. "I graduated from high school at fifteen, and I was twenty when I graduated from medical school."

"Wow."

Nancy chooses that moment to reappear with our food. "Here ya' go. Can I get you guys anything else?" We both shake are heads no. "Alrighty. You can pay up front when you're done. Just holler if ya' need something. Ya'll have a good day now."

"Thank you and you do as well." 3M replies.

My food is finished quickly, unlike 3M who seems to be taking her time actually enjoying hers instead of inhaling it. I excuse myself to the restroom feeling the need to freshen up a little for the day. After using the bathroom, I stand in front of the mirror and take in my appearance. My hair is a mess and there is some dirt on my clothes, but its hard to notice since I'm still wearing 3M's jacket.

I comb through my hair with my fingers in an attempt to untangle the snarls that have developed. Carefully I pull off the gauze still attached to my forehead. The wound is ugly looking, but not terrible. My skin that surrounds the scabs that have formed is black and blue. The abrasion runs from mid eyebrow to my temple. I gently wash my face, making sure to be extra cautious around the injury.

When I'm done I head back to our table and find that 3M has finished eating and is now reading a newspaper. She notices my presence and puts the newspaper away.

"Are you ready?" I ask.

"No. Not yet." She gestures for me to sit back down. "We have a few things to discuss first." I gulp not liking the sound of that. Picking up on my nervousness she says, "Relax. I just want to talk about your mother." I exhale the breath I was holding in and sit down.

"What about her?"

"Where does she live?" It's a valid question; I just don't know the answer to it.

"I don't know." I reply honestly.

"You do not know?"

"You know how I told you that she was a surrogate right?" she nods her head yes. "Before I was born they made her sign a contract that stated that she couldn't see me until I was eighteen unless I found her first." I pause for a moment to get my thoughts straight. I go to continue but 3M starts speaking before I can.

"So you have never met her, correct?"

"Yes."

"What is her name? We can use my laptop in the truck to start a search and see what possibilities come up; then narrow them down based on varying factors such as age, looks, and place of birth. Where are you from? Chances are that she was born somewhere near where you were." I bite my lip knowing she isn't going to like what I have to say next.

"I'm from Lima, Ohio." I hesitate, "And… I don't know my mother's name." I pause and she looks like she is about to say something, but I don't let her. "They never told me it and all my relatives died long before I was born." She stares at me for a good minute and a half. Her expression is unreadable.

"What about the contract itself? Do you know where a copy of it is?" I shake my head no. She takes a breath, "Do you know who their lawyer was?"

"Yes. Mr. Grossman, but I'm pretty sure he is dead by now."

"His files should still be on record…" I cut her off.

"All his files were destroyed in a fire. My parents never got a chance to write up a new draft."

"The hospital you were born at or the State of Ohio should have a copy of your birth certificate." Again I shake my head no.

"When the accident first happened the police went there looking for it, but her name was listed as Patti LuPone, which is obviously an alias." No matter how much I wish that were true, I add in my head.

She sighs looking stumped. I watch her as she turns her head and stares out the window intently. Its several minutes later that she finally speaks, "There has to be some kind of record of who she is somewhere. The best place to start looking for it is in Lima."

"What are you saying?" I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

"What I am saying Mausi, is that you and I have a very long road trip ahead of us." She smiles at me and I smile back.

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought. Sorry this one was a little short. The next one should be longer. I hope to get the next chapter up soon. – Shadow Dogma**


	5. I Dreamed a Dream

**Sorry the update is late. I took my grandma for a ride through the mountains yesterday and I didn't have time to finish writing the chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. Some of you have been requesting longer chapters so this one is a lot longer than the other ones. There is also a lot of Shell in this one. Please review. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

* * *

Shelby's POV

I've been successful at avoiding Will all day, but we have practice after school so I can't avoid him forever. I know that I'll have to talk to him eventually, but I still really do not want to discuss my problems with him. Maybe I can just ask one of the kids to tell him I'm not feeling well and that I went home. No. That will only make him more suspicious and then he'll track me down again.

The bell rings signaling the end of the school day. Students shoot out of their seats and sprint out of the door faster than Usain Bolt could ever hope to do so. "Kids." I mutter quietly; when I was in school we never liked it but at least we…. Oh great. Now I'm becoming my mother.

Sighing I gather up my papers and head towards the choir room. I'm in no mood to teach glee today; especially since I know Will will be breathing down my neck the entire time trying to get me to tell him what's up. When I reach the door I pause, hoping that some of the students have arrived early so that I can postpone the inevitable. I take a breath and open it. No such luck.

He notices me immediately. "Shelby." I walk in and put my stuff on the piano. "Are we going to talk about what happened last night?" pause "And this morning?" He asks.

"No." I huff. There were barely any words exchanged over dinner last night. It was mostly me glaring at him while he practically force fed me chicken parmesan. After that I manage to convince him I was tired and just wanted to go to bed. Which wasn't a total lie, but it was only said to stall having to talk to him. We curled up in my bed and went to sleep. Or more like he went to sleep and I just laid there thinking about my daughter. At four thirty I had wiggled my way out of his arms and gotten myself ready for work being careful the whole time not to rouse him in the process. I knew that he wouldn't like waking up to an empty bed, but I couldn't face him. Not yet.

"You can't avoid this conversation forever." He's leveling a look at me.

"I can try." I know that I'm being a little unreasonable. He's always been very open with me. Whenever something is bothering him, he always tells me what's wrong. But I know that if I let him in then everything will come out. I won't be able to stop myself. I know that I'll cry, and Shelby Corcoran does not cry in front of people.

He sighs and his face softens, "Look. I'm really concerned about you right now. I've never seen you like this before. You're just so, so….melancholy. And you've been losing your temper a lot this past week. I just want to help you, and I can't do that if you don't let me in."

He's almost pleading with me now and my walls are starting to fall. I open my mouth to speak when the door flies open and Kurt and Mercedes come walking through discussing the newest edition of Vogue. My walls go back up immediately.

"Later." He says with a sigh indicating that this is not the end of our discussion. We wait a couple of minutes for the rest of the club to show up. When they are all present Will begins one of his infamous speeches.

"Okay guys. Now Regionals is not that far away and we really need to be practicing hard if we want to beat the Warblers. I want you guys thinking about what song you believe we should sing for the group number since Sue has convinced principle Figgins that we can't do We Are Young. You need to let either me or Ms. Corcoran know as soon as possible." Some murmurings break out in the seats, already their minds are teaming with ideas. I step up next to Will to talk about the assembly.

"I have the sheet music for the upcoming assembly. Mercedes, you and Santana have the lead in the group number. Quinn, Finn, you guys are doing the duet, and Tina, you are singing the solo." As expected they erupt in protest.

"What!"

"Ms. Corcoran! I'm not singing with him!"

"You can't do this! Mr. Shu! Do something!"

Will's about to interrupt them, but I beat him to it.

"ENOUGH!" They all fall silent. I WILL NOT tolerate any of their arguing today; I just do not have the patience.

"I'm not doing this to punish any of you. I'm not doing this because I hate you. I'm not doing this to teach you a lesson. I'm doing this because it works. Tina is a fantastic singer. The problem is that she needs more confidence. Singing at the assembly will hopefully give her that. I need her singing at her best if she is to have the solo at regionals." My eyes sweep over the rows to get my point across.

"Mercedes, Santana, you two hate each other you. I get it, but you guys have some of the strongest voices here and we need to use that to enhance the song. You don't have to actually like each other, you just have to act like it on stage." I look between the two of them daring them to protest again. When I'm sure they won't I turn my gaze to Finn and Quinn.

"And Quinn. I don't care what's going on between you two right now. You will sing this song, or you will leave this class room this instant." I glare at them while pointing at the door. Neither moves. Good. I nod my head to Will to let him know that he has the audience again.

He clears his throat, "Okay. Now is anyone ready to perform their assignment?" Quinn's hand shoots up immediately.

"I'm ready Mr. Shu."

"Okay Quinn. Take it away." Will says as he walks over to stand by me near the piano. Quinn goes over to the band and tells them the song and then walks back to stand in front of Finn. When the music starts I almost groan out loud.

_I remember when we broke up the first time_

_Saying, "This is it, I've had enough," 'cause like_

_We hadn't seen each other in a month_

_When you said you needed space. (What?)_

Her hands fly up in a gesture of confusion, then she drops down onto her knees in a pleading manner.

_Then you come around again and say_

_"Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change, trust me."_

She's jumps up and walks away a little and holds her cellphone up to her ears.

_Remember how that lasted for a day?_

_I say, "I hate you," we break up, you call me, "I love you."_

_Ooh, we called it off again last night_

_But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you_

She in his face now almost screaming the words. Santana and Brittany hop up, joining in to sing back up.

_We are never ever ever getting back together,_

_We are never ever ever getting back together,_

She walks over to the two girls as they pretend to have a conversation and they start pointing and flashing looks of disgust.

_You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me_

Stocking back over to Finn, she continues singing.

_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

_Like, ever..._

She flips her ponytail over her shoulder and walks away again.

_I'm really gonna miss you picking fights_

_And me falling for it screaming that I'm right_

_And you would hide away and find your peace of mind_

_With some indie record that's much cooler than mine_

She puts her phone back up to her ear.

_Ooh, you called me up again tonight_

_But ooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you_

She's singing the lines into her phone.

_We are never, ever, ever getting back together_

_We are never, ever, ever getting back together_

Santana and Brittany are standing by her again.

_You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)_

_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

She's prancing around the room now.

_Ooh, yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah_

_Oh oh oh_

She grabs a flower from the vase on the shelf and starts pulling off the petals almost like she's saying he loves me, he loves me not.

_I used to think that we were forever ever_

_And I used to say, "Never say never..."_

The flower is thrown over her head and lands on the floor near the door. She turns to the two Cheerios.

_Uggg... so he calls me up and he's like, "I still love you,"_

_And I'm like... "I just... I mean this is exhausting, you know, like,_

_We are never getting back together. Like, ever"_

She turns to Finn to shout the next word and slowly begins to make her way back to him with Santana and Brittany following.

_No!_

_We are never ever ever getting back together_

_We are never ever ever getting back together_

_You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me_

_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

_We, ooh, getting back together, ohhh,_

_We, ooh, getting back together_

Standing right in front of him, she finishes her song.

_You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me (talk to me)_

_But we are never ever ever ever getting back together_

Leveling one final glare at Finn, she takes her seat.

"Subtle." I say under my breath so only Will can hear. As the kids clap awkwardly he turns his head and gives me a look of irritation, then walks over to stand in front of them.

"Thank you Quinn. That was…" It's obvious that he doesn't really know what to say. "…really good, but my assignment was dreams. That song doesn't fit."

"Sure it does. It's my dream that he final gets it through that thick skull of his that we are over." Quinn replies in a sassy tone.

He sighs, "I think that you guys need a demonstration. Ms. Corcoran?"

Wait what? Me? These little assignments are his idea not mine. Why do I have to do it? Oh crap. They're all looking at me. Think Shelby. Think. I've got it.

"E flat major." I tell the band and walk to the middle of the room.

Looking off into the distance I begin to sing as though remembering some long forgotten time. The assignment is dreams, but you always need to be theatrical when giving a performance.

_There was a time when men were kind_

_When their voices were soft_

_And their words inviting_

_There was a time when love was blind_

_And the world was a song_

_And the song was exciting_

_There was a time_

_Then it all went wrong_

I grab the piano as though I need to hold on so as not to fall.

_I dreamed a dream in times gone by_

_When hope was high_

_And life worth living_

_I dreamed that love would never die_

_I dreamed that God would be forgiving_

_Then I was young and unafraid_

A picture of my nineteen year old self flashes before my eyes.

_And dreams were made and used and wasted_

_There was no ransom to be paid_

It's no longer a performance. I can see myself with the Berry's signing the contract that has been the Bain of my existence for fourteen years.

_No song unsung_

_No wine untasted_

I see myself in New York.

_But the tigers come at night_

_With their voices soft as thunder_

I see the nurses taking my baby away.

_As they tear your hope apart_

_And they turn your dream to shame_

I think I might be crying now, but I can't stop.

_And still I dream she'll come to me_

_That we'll live the years together_

I see the image of a smiling young girl that looks so much like me.

_But there are dreams that cannot be_

The girl, my daughter starts to fade away.

_And there are storms we cannot weather _

_I had a dream my life would be_

_So different from this hell I'm living_

_So different now from what it seemed_

_Now life has killed_

_The dream I dreamed _

Blinking my eyes I come out of the fog of my memories to find myself in the choir room. By the shocked looks on their faces I can tell that I am in fact crying. I clear my throat and ignore the tears for now.

"I believe that was more like what Mr. Shu had in mind." They're all still staring and I don't dare glance at Will.

"Excuse me."

I quickly grab my book bag and leave the room; practically running to my car. Throwing it into gear I speed out of the parking lot and down the street. I wait until I can no longer see the school before pulling over and resting my head on the steering wheel. There is no way that Will is going to leave me alone now. Might as while just go home and wait for him to arrive.

* * *

Will's POV

I watch her back as she flees the room, head held high obviously trying to control her tears and emotions. I'm too stunned to go after her. Looking at the kids I can tell I'm not the only one who was shocked by her performance.

"I didn't even know that she could cry." Puck states with a dazed expression.

"It was just a performance guys. You all know how much Ms. Corcoran likes to be theatrical." Whatever is going on, I know for a fact Shelby doesn't want them knowing about it.

"Then why did she bolt from the room afterwards?" Asks Artie.

"Look that isn't the point. What she sang was perfect for the assignment. That is what I wanted from you guys." I need to get them off of the topic, and fast.

"So, you wanted us to have a complete emotional break down while singing a song about unfulfilled dreams?" Tina asks in confusion.

I sigh in frustration, "No. That's not the point either. The point is..." pausing so I won't blow up on them. "Okay guys. Just everyone go home and enjoy your weekend. Don't be late to practice on Monday." I need to find Shelby. Whatever's going on is big. Shelby Corcoran doesn't cry over nothing.

Packing up my papers, I wait till everyone has left before hurrying to my car. The first place to look would be her house, so I head in that direction. On the way there, I can't help but wonder what's got her so upset. A death in the family is possible, but as far as I know her sister is the only one still alive and she lives in Miami. If something had happened to her then Shelby would have had to have gone down there. She has no pets that could have died. She has no real close friends other than me, Emma and despite their differences Sue; obviously we are all still fine.

A thought occurs to me almost making me run a stop sign. What if Shelby's sick? Or dying? Driving even faster now I pull onto her block. When I reach the tan house on the end I pull into the driveway and turn off my car. I take a deep breath before getting out and walking up to the door. Deciding not to knock, since she probably won't answer if I do, I grab the door handle. I'm surprised it's unlocked.

I make my way down the short hallway, expecting to find her sprawled out on her couch like yesterday. Instead I find her sitting at her dining room table with two cups of coffee.

"I knew that you would hunt me down." She says quietly while starring into her mug.

Sitting down across from her I draw the other coffee towards me.

"Are you going to tell me what happened back there?" I ask gently.

She lets out a long sigh and lifts her head up to look at me. Her eyes and nose are red from crying.

"I don't have much of a choice now." She looks back at her cup before continuing.

"When I was younger I dreamed of being on Broadway. I was obsessed." She smiles a little, "I had every Streisand album possible. I could quote every line in Funny Girl. I took dance classes and had numerous vocal coaches." Her smile falters, "My parents were sure that it was a phase; that I would grow out of it." She pauses, "I didn't. When I told them that I wanted to go to New York after I graduated they told me no. My father said that I would never make it as an actress; that I should go to college and get a real job." She's stopped talking now.

"What happened after that?" I ask. She looks up at me then answers.

"I was furious at them. So I got a job at some little café and moved out. My plan was to save up enough money to be able to move to New York and start auditioning. It didn't go so well, my plan. A year later and I was no closer to New York than I was when I first moved out." She hesitates, "One day I was reading the paper when I came across an ad." Another pause, "A gay couple was looking for a surrogate to have a baby for them. They were willing to pay me enough money to live in New York for two years." She lets out a sarcastic laugh. "I was so young and naïve. All I could think about was getting to New York."

I don't know what to say. This is not the conversation I imagined we would be having.

"At first I thought I would be fine. That I wouldn't become attached to the baby growing within me." Shaking her head, she looks off to the side. "I was so, so, wrong." She's crying again. "The first ultrasound, the first time I heard her heart beat, the first time I felt her kick. I couldn't help but fall in love with her."

I can see that she's struggling to keep her composure, so I reach my hand over and place it on top of hers to comfort her. She turns her hand over and grasps mine hard.

"The Berrys could see that I was becoming attached. So they…" she swallows hard, "They made me sign a contract. It states that I can't contact her until she's eighteen, unless she finds me first." Long pause. "She was born December eighteenth." She finishes barely above a whisper.

"Oh, Shelby." I get up and go around to the other side of the table and take her into my arms.

"I never even got to hold her." She sobs into my shoulder.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. I've got you. Shh." I repeat over and over. It takes nearly fifteen minutes until she calms down and stops crying. My guess is that this is the first time that she's ever really talked about it with anyone.

"You okay now?" I ask as I pull away slightly.

She nods her head, "Yes."

Continuing to hold her hand, I pull up a chair beside her.

"How old is she?" I ask.

"Fourteen."

"Do you know her name?"

"No." Taking a shaky breath, "I think about her all the time. Wondering if she looks like me. If she likes music. Can she sing? What's her favorite food? Does she think about me too? Does she hate me? It just kills me not being able to know her, but this time of the year is always the worst."

I don't know what to say. There really is nothing for me to say. Instead I stand up and pull on her arm. "Come on." I lead us into her bedroom and lay down dragging her with me. She snuggles her face into the crook of my neck and her hands clutch to my shirt tightly. Quietly I hum a song, and gently rock her to sleep. As I'm rubbing my hands up and down her back I can't help but feel resentment towards the people who have hurt the woman I love.

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**Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Sorry there was no Rachel or 3M in this chapter, but they will be in the next. Please review. – Shadow Dogma**


	6. Hey, Brother

**Sorry my updating has been so irregular. Unfortunately that will probably continue. With classes starting back up I don't have as much time to write. I will try to update as soon as I can but I can't promise anything more than once a week.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Glee.**

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Rachel's POV

"Okay. So are we going to take Interstate 84? Or are we going to drive back up to Spokane and take Interstate 90? Because it seems like a waste of time to drive back up north. Not to mention that it would…" 3M is chuckling.

"Slow down Mausi. We have a couple of things to do before we start this adventure of ours." She says bursting my bubble of excitement.

"What do we have to do?"

"Well. First off, we need to get you some new clothes. Your shirt is a red flag. If I am caught driving you around with that on, I could be arrested for kidnapping. We also need to get you a warmer coat than that pink one you have on, and no matter how adorable you look with my jacket on, you cannot continue wearing it." She replies annoying me.

"I'm not adorable. I'm fourteen, not a child." I grind out.

"You are too."

"Am not."

"You are too."

"Am not!" She laughs.

"Whatever you say Mausi."

A silence descends in the cab of the truck as she continues wearing her smirk, while I continue to glare at her. We pull up to a Walmart and get out. When we reach the doors she grabs a cart and turns to look at me.

"I need to find a couple of things. While I'm looking for them I want you to pick out a couple of shirts, sweaters, pants, and one coat. Do not worry about prices. Remember our deal?" I nod my agreement.

"Stay in the clothing section so I know where to find you." She starts to walk away, then turns and says with another smirk, "And Mausi, do not talk to strangers."

I think she likes smirking too much. If she's not careful her face will become stuck like that. Of course she probably wouldn't mind. And why does she keep calling me Mausi? What does it even mean? For Barbra's sakes….Opps! I'm standing in the entrance of a Walmart having an internal conversation with myself, and people are beginning to stare. I've been doing that a lot lately. Must be going crazy. A man wearing fish stockings, a miniskirt, and a tube top struts by me. At least I'm not that crazy.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

I've found what I need. In my arms I've got ten plain short and long sleeve shirts, four pairs of jeans, five sweaters, and a sophisticated looking black pea coat. I didn't really want to get the pants since I'm more of a skirts type of girl, but 3M specifically said pants. At least I managed to find some cute sweaters. One even has a puppy on the front. Now all I have to do is wait for 3M.

The clothes really didn't take me long to collect; I'm not that picky of a shopper; although that was not always so. When I was younger, before the accident, I was terrible to go shopping with. The trip would take hours and I would whine the entire time about how this shirt wasn't the right color, that skirt was too pleated, or the shoes were too brown. At least one good thing came out of this mess; I better appreciate the things I have and the things I receive.

I'm dying of boredom and I'm just about ready to go searching for 3M when I finally spot her heading towards me with a rather full looking cart.

"Hey Mausi, did you find everything I told you to grab?" She asks coming to a halt beside me.

"Yes I did." I put my clothes on top of the items already in the cart.

"Good. Let us go get checked out." She suggests while turning in the direction of the checkout lanes.

"What is all this stuff for?" curiosity getting the best of me.

"I picked up some snacks for the long drive as well as some antibiotic cream for your head. It is mostly emergency kits and supplies though; in case something happens during the drive to Lima." My hand reaches up to my forehead having forgotten about the injury in my excitement.

"I also snagged a couple of CDs. I love Broadway as much as the next person, but I'm not listening to show tunes the whole way there." She continues.

"I've only ever really listened to Broadway music before." I say.

"Well I get to introduce you to some really great bands then. Besides, if you want to be the best singer possible you have to challenge yourself by singing songs outside of your comfort zone." She replies as we get into line.

The cashier is taking forever to ring in the person in front of us. How hard is it to figure out where the button for the tomatoes is. I may appreciate things in life now, but I'm still not a patient person and standing in this line is practically torture. 3M chuckles when I let out another sigh of frustration, then hands me her iPhone.

"Here Mausi. You can play Fruit Ninja while we wait." Taking her phone gratefully; I remember the question I asked myself earlier.

"Why do you call me Mausi?"

"Mausi is a German term of endearment. It roughly translates to little mouse." She answers.

"Little mouse?" Weird.

"Some of the sentiment is lost in translation and the cultural differences between America and Germany." She clarifies.

"Oh. But why do you use it?" Why would an American use a German term of endearment?

"Because I'm German."

"You're German? You don't have an accent."

She laughs, "They start teaching foreign languages much earlier there than they do here. I also happen to be very good with languages. I am fluent in three not including German and English."

I go to reply, but it's finally our turn in line. Our checkout takes half the time the previous one did, thankfully, and soon we're loading the bags into the truck. Most of the emergency things get put in the bed while the snacks and my clothes go up in the cab. 3M then walks the cart back while I hop in and buckle up. She returns and jumps up into the cab. As we're pulling out onto the road I can't help but ask again.

"Now are we leaving?"

"Not yet Mausi. We both need a shower." Smirking while she replies. I really hate that smirk.

"Where are we going to shower?" It would be pointless to rent a hotel room just for a shower; not to mention expensive.

"My brother lives about ten minutes from here."

"You have a brother?" Cool.

"Yes. I do."

"I always wanted a sibling, especially an older one; someone to look after me. Sometimes I wonder if things would have been different had I had one." I reveal. "What's it like?"

"Marco is four years older than me. He can be the most annoying person in the world because of how protective he can get, but I would not change him for the world. Our parents were never around much because they were always too busy partying with their rich friends to take notice of us. So when I was really young he would take care of me, but as I got older and more independent we clashed a lot. I always wanted to go out and do something crazy while he, the sane one, was always trying to make me stay home and practice my instruments." She glances over at me. "I think you will like him. He loves music and singing just as much as you do. In fact I can guarantee that we will not leave his house without singing at least one song."

"He sounds like fun." I reply now excited to meet Marco.

* * *

Shelby's POV

I feel a hand running up and down my back as I slowly regain consciousness. It feels warm and comforting. Taking a deep breath I inhale the sweet and minty smell of Will's cologne. I open my eyes to find myself tucked into his shoulder.

"Good morning." I greet. As he pulls back to look at me, his hands stop their path on by back. He gives me his adorable morning smile.

"Good morning to you too. How did you sleep." He asks.

"I slept surprisingly well. What time is it?" I question looking around my room.

"It's almost elven thirty."

"Wow. I haven't slept in that late in years." I reply with shock.

"I guess I just make a great pillow." There's a glint in his eyes as he says this.

"I guess you do." Rolling over I climb out of my bed and head towards my kitchen.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I call over my shoulder.

"Pancakes." He yells back.

Going over to my cupboard I pull out the ingredients and start to prepare the batter. I hear Will making his down the hallway. Entering the kitchen he goes over to turn the coffee maker on and then turns to watch me cook. By the time I've put two stacks of pancakes and two bowls of fruit on the table I've become irritated by his staring.

"I'm fine." I say turning to look at him. He gives me a disbelieving look.

"Really, I am. I feel way better than I have in a long time." pausing "I'm not great. But I'm okay." I reassure him. It's not a lie. I do feel better. As much as I hate to admit it, venting my emotions last night helped a lot.

He stares at me for a couple more seconds trying to see if I'm telling the truth. Finally he takes a seat satisfied that I am. We eat our meal in silence for several minutes since we're both too hungry to talk. I know Will always enjoys my food. I don't cook very often because I'm so busy, but I do know how to cook rather well.

"Did you ever look for her?" he breaks the silence with his question.

"Yes. Right after I moved back to Ohio I did a search to find their address, but I couldn't find one in Lima. So, I widened my search to all of Allen County. No Berry's. I widened the search to encompass all of Ohio. Nothing. I even spent hours going through all the Berry residences in the United States. I still couldn't find them. I know that I'm not supposed to contact her, but I just want to see her. Even if I can't meet her yet, I want to know what she looks like; what her name is." I ramble until Will puts his hand on top of mine.

"Do you think they moved out of the country?" He asks.

"They must have, because there is no Hiram and Leroy Berry in the U.S. that have a fourteen year old daughter." I say with a shrug.

We finish our breakfast with little more conversation. After brining the dishes into the kitchen, I tell him that I'm going to take a shower. It's more for the sake of not wanting to talk about it anymore than, because I actually want to shower.

* * *

Rachel's POV

We pull up to a small brick house on a quaint little street. 3M has been blasting Nirvana since the end of our conversation. I don't really like the group that much, but I have to admit I did like the song Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Before I can even unlock my door, an eighty pound ball of fur is banging into it yapping its head off. Glancing over to 3M I see that smirk again. She climbs out her side and the dog immediately tackles her into the trucks hood. Cautiously I leave the cab and walk towards them. Mumbles of German are escaping 3M's mouth as she cuddles with the large German Shepard.

"Gunter!" I hear a man's voice bellow. The dog, apparently Gunter, stops his slobber attack on 3M and trots over to his owner. The man is short and skinny, unlike 3M who's tall and thick with muscle definition. Their relation though, is evident in their faces. Both have sea green eyes with sharp noses and that stupid smirk I detest so much.

"Marco!" Shouts 3M.

"Polo!" He yells back in a joking manner.

They meet each other half way in a great big bear hug and immediately start their own conversation in German. Its awkward standing there not knowing what they're saying. For all I know they could be talking about me. In fact they probably are given the circumstances. Finally Marco turns his attention from his sister to me.

"Hello. I'm Marco." He says coming over to me and grabbing my hand for a quick handshake.

"Rachel." I reply.

"It is very nice to meet you Rachel. Please come on in." He drags me through the door by the arm. He may be small, but he's actually pretty strong. When we reach the living room 3M turns to me.

"How about you take the first shower while I catch up with my brother." I nod my head.

"Sure."

She guides me down a brightly colored hallway to the bathroom.

"There is soap on the rack hanging from the shower head and there are towels in the cupboard." She says pointing them out. "I will bring in some of your new clothes and leave them on the counter for you."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Try not to use all the hot water Mausi." She says while leaving. Shedding my soiled clothes I step into the tub and turn on the warm water. My muscles relax as I begin to cleanse my body. I surprise myself when a Nirvana song makes it past my lips instead of my usual Broadway music.

When I'm done with my shower I step out and find clothes on the counter just like 3M promised. I dry quickly and put on the jeans and the long sleeve navy blue shirt. Gathering up my dirty clothes I head back out to the living room and find 3M and Marco singing their hearts out.

(_**3M**__, Marco, {__both}_)

_**Hey, brother, there's an endless road to re-discover.**_

_Hey, sister, know the water's sweet but blood is thicker._

_**Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you**_

_**There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.**_

She jumps on top of the coffee table.

_**Hey, brother, do you still believe in one another?**_

He jumps up there with her. I'm surprised when it doesn't collapsed.

_Hey, sister, do you still believe in love I wonder?_

He sings putting his hand over his heart.

_Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you_

_There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do._

They grasp each other's hands.

_Ah, what if I'm far from home?_

_**Oh, brother, I will hear you call.**_

_**What if I lose it all?**_

_Oh, sister, I will help you out!_

_{Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you_

_There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.}_

3M hops over to the couch putting one foot on the seat and the other on the back then points her hand in the direction of the front door.

_**Hey, brother, there's an endless road to re-discover.**_

Marco hurdles onto the couch, grabs the hand that is outstretched and points it to her heart.

_Hey, sister, do you still believe in love I wonder?_

_**Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you**_

_**There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.**_

They entwine their hands again.

_Ah, what if I'm far from home?_

_**Oh, brother, I will hear you call.**_

_**What if I lose it all?**_

_Oh, sister, I will help you out!_

_{Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you_

_There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.}_

I clap making them both jump having been too caught up in their performance to notice my presence.

"That was really good. I bet you guys could start a band or something." I say. They really could. Their voices blend very well together. 3M smiles at me then heads towards the bathroom.

"I am going to take my shower now. Be nice to Rachel." She chides her brother.

"I am always nice." He replies with an innocent expression on his face.

"Sure you are." She shuts the door blocking him out. He chuckles then turns to me.

"So Maddalyn is going to help you find your mom?" He asks with raised eyebrows.

"Yes. She is."

He shakes his head, "She just cannot let it go can she."

"Let what go?" I'm curious as to the real reason 3M decided to help me.

"Has she said anything about a Sabine yet?" I shake my head no. "When we were kids we had a neighbor; her name was Sabine. She was the same age as Maddalyn and they were inseparable. Everything they did, they did with each other. She was closer to Sabine than she was to me." He has a far away look in his eyes, but it goes dark as he says the next part.

"When they were ten, Sabine's parents were killed in a home invasion. She had no relatives to be sent to so she landed in the system. They tried to stay in touch but the phone calls became less frequent as time went by. Eventually they lost all contact." He's looking down now.

"So she lost her best friend?" Our gazes meet and I'm surprised by the pain his holds.

"It was more than that. About four years ago Maddalyn ran into her on the street. She had become a prostitute and a drug addict. Despite all of her attempts Maddalyn could not get Sabine sober. She over dosed a week after getting out of rehab for the fifth time." Pausing in his explanation he looks over to the bathroom door where the water has just stopped running.

"Maddalyn has always blamed the system for her death." His gaze returns to me.

"Since then she has made it her unofficial mission in life to help orphaned and underprivileged children." He laughs. "She spends half of every year in Africa giving out free medical treatment and building schools."

The door opens and 3M walks out with her wet hair up wearing jeans and a flannel shirt.

"Do You get her to sing for you yet?" She asks coming to stand next to me.

"No. I have not."

"She is a fantastic singer. Definitely Broadway material." She complements me.

"Well now you have to sing. Unless you are afraid." He gets that same smirk on his face.

I flash him one of my own before going over to a shelf that is full of CDs and records. I quickly find what I want and put it in to his CD player. I lose myself in the music the instant I hear the first note.

_Oh, my man, I love him so, he'll never know_

_ All my life is just despair, but I don't care_

_ When he takes me in his arms_

_ The world is bright, all right..._

_ What's the difference if I say I'll go away_

_ When I know I'll come back on my knee someday_

_ For whatever my man is, I am his forever more_

_ It cost me a lot,_

_ But there's one thing that I've got, it's my man_

_ Cold and wet tired, you bet,_

_ But all that I soon forget with my man_

_ He's not much for looks_

_ And no hero out of books is my man_

_ Two or three girls has he_

_ That he likes as well as me, but I love him..._

_ Oh, my man, I love him so, he'll never know_

_ All my life is just despair, but I don't care_

_ When he takes me in his arms_

_ The world is bright, all right..._

_ What's the difference if I say I'll go away_

_ When I know I'll come back on my knee someday_

_ For whatever my man is, I am his forever more... _

I come back to reality when I hear them clapping for me.

"That was wonderful. Maddalyn is right. Definitely Broadway material. I look forward to seeing you preform in your first show. Just make sure I get a backstage pass." He says. 3M laughs at him.

"Thank you Marco for letting us use your shower, but if we are going to make it to Twin Falls tonight we really need to head out."

"We're finally leaving?" I can help but ask. She smirks.

"Yes. We are leaving." She answers.

I shake hands with Marco and thank him for the use of his shower then wait impatiently by the door as they hug each other goodbye. Booking it to the truck we barely make it in before Gunter gets to us. As we pull away from the curb and start toward I-84, I put in one of the Van Halen CDs and I can't help but think, "Lima, Ohio. Here I come."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought. – Shadow Dogma**


	7. Keep Your Head Up

**Thank you to all who have been reviewing. I really appreciate it. Here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. We are getting closer now to them meeting, but we are not quite there yet. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Doing nothing for four days expect for driving is really boring. And I mean really boring. Listening to music helps but 3M will only let me listen to a couple of Broadway song a day. Her music isn't terrible. In fact some of it's actually pretty good. Nonetheless I'm bored out of my mind. At least we'll be in Lima within the next two hours.

I sigh as we merge onto Interstate 74. Wait. Interstate 74?

"Why are we getting onto I-74? Shouldn't we be getting onto I-70?" I ask 3M confused.

She glances in my direction. The mischievous glint that is usually present in her eyes is nowhere to be found.

"I-74 is correct." Is her curt retort.

"But the map shows that I-70 is a faster route to Lima than I-74."

"We are not headed to Lima. We are headed to Cincinnati." Again the response is tight lipped.

"What!?" I scream. "You said you were taking me to Lima so that I could find my mom." I respond in anger.

"Calm down. We are still going to go to Lima. I just have something that I must do before we go there." She pauses. "We will be spending the night in Cincinnati."

I sigh. After nearly six years of being away, I was really looking forward to finally being in Lima today. At least l will be in Ohio. I want so badly to ask 3M what it is that she has to do, but from the way she's holding the steering wheel like she's attempting to strangle it to death; I'm guessing that I probably should just leave her alone for the time being. To alleviate my boredom and irritation I put in the Coldplay CD.

It's about five-thirty when we pull up outside of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. We sit in the truck for a few seconds before she takes a deep breath and turns to me.

"A friend of mine's son, Michael is here. Michael was born with a heart defect. They tried to fix the problem with different types of reconstructive surgeries, but the kid has had twelve and none of them have worked." She pauses, "He is only nine."

"Poor little guy." Now I know why she has been so tense since we left Indianapolis.

"I recommended that they take him here. It is the number one hospital in the United States for pediatric cardiology. Tomorrow morning they are going to try a new experimental surgery. If it does not work then he will have to wait until it is his turn on the donor list." She takes another breath and looks down at her lap.

"He most likely will not survive long enough to receive a new heart."

My heart breaks for Michael, his family, and 3M. I reach over and grab her hand in reassurance. Lifting her head I can see she is fighting not to cry. She lets out one final sigh and leaves the cab. We get in an elevator and head up a couple of floors. When we reach the correct one, we step off and turn right down a hallway with doors on all sides. As the nurses station comes into sight 3M walks towards a young couple standing and talking with a doctor. Their faces are etched with concern. The doctor wanders off and as soon as they spot 3M, they breakout into wide smiles.

"3M! I didn't know you were coming." The man exclaims then pulls her into a large tight hug and slaps her back rather hard. He is tall, very muscular, and he has a buzz cut. When he steps back his wife embraces 3M in a much gentler manner. She is also tall, but very thin. Her blonde hair is in a single braid.

"I told you guys that I would give you my support whenever you needed it." 3M replies as she is released from the second hug. Turning to me she says, "This is my friend Rachel. Rachel this is Lucas and his wife Helen. I met Lucas when he was stationed in Iraq and I was there vaccinating the villages near his base."

"Yeah. We were supposed to be the doctors' escorts for safety, but 3M here never listened; always out driving around in unsafe zones." He says with a laugh.

The mood becomes serious again as 3M asks how Michael is doing. Helen sighs and runs a hand over her face before she answers.

"He's really nervous about tomorrow; worried that it won't work." Tears start to from in the woman's eyes. "I really hope this works. He deserves the chance to finally be a kid instead of being cooped up in a hospital room all the time."

"And he will get that chance. These doctors are the best in their field. They know what they are doing." 3M assures; the doubt and fear I saw in the truck gone. She is obviously trying to be the shoulder to cry on for her friends.

"I pray that you are right." Lucas replies.

3M comforts them for a couple of minutes before we enter Michael's room. The little boy looks up from his coloring book and squeals in delight at his visitors.

"Aunty M! You came!" he exclaims in happiness.

"Of course I came." She goes over to his bed, sits down and pulls him into a gentle hug.

"Do you want to meet my friend?" She asks motioning for me to come closer.

"Hi." He greets shyly.

"Hello. My name is Rachel. What's yours?"

"Mikey." His mother gives him a glare. He rolls his eyes then corrects, "Michael. I prefer Mikey, but mom says that I need to go by the name she gave me. She says Mikey is too informal and that only my friends can call me Mikey."

"Then consider us friends Mikey." I say holding my hand out for him to shake. He grabs it and shakes it as vigorously as he can manage given his age and condition.

"How are you holding up?" 3M asks once we've finished our introductions. He fiddles with his crayons before answering.

"I'm okay."

"You nervous?" She prompts.

"Yeah. A little."

"Everything is going to be alright Mikey. You do not have to worry. That is what old people are supposed to do, not strong young things like you." She attempts to cheer him up.

"Yeah." He says clearly unconvinced. A look that I can't decipher passes between the adults in the room. Before anyone can respond, a nurse walks in and announces that visiting hours are almost up. Turning her gaze back to the young boy 3M pulls out her iPod and plugs it into the iHome on the nightstand.

"Do you want Aunty M to sing you a song before she has to go?" She asks. His face breaks out into a huge grin.

"Yeah!" His excitement is evident.

"Alright. Let me find one." Searching through her music, it only takes her a few seconds to find the song she wants to sing. She sits down next to him and begins to sing.

_I've been waiting on the sunset_

Her hand motions to the window where the sun by now is almost gone.

_Bills on my mindset_

Pointing to her head she smirks.

_I can't deny they're getting high_

_Higher than my income_

She starts raising her hand progressively.

_Incomes bread crumbs_

_I've been trying to survive_

She motions to the window again then gets up off the bed.

_The glow that the sun gets_

_Right around sunset_

_Helps me realize_

She points to her head again.

_This is just a journey_

_Drop your worries_

Touching her finger to the tip of his nose she smiles then backs away a little.

_You are gonna turn out fine._

_Oh, you turn out fine._

_Fine, oh, you turn out fine._

As if pushing her head up, she taps the bottom of her chin.

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

_You gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

She pulls her hair from the confines of her ponytail.

_I know it's hard, know it's hard,_

_To remember sometimes,_

She ruffles his hair.

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

Putting her hands in her pockets she starts kicking imaginary rocks.

_I've got my hands in my pockets,_

_Kicking these rocks._

_It's kinda hard to watch this life go by._

_I'm buying into skeptics,_

_Skeptics mess with, the confidence in my eyes_

She points to her eyes and smiles again.

_I'm seeing all the angles, starts to get tangled_

_I start to compromise_

_My life and the purpose._

Her arms shrug up in a gesture of wonderment.

_Is it all worth it?_

_Am I gonna turn out fine?_

She points to him.

_Oh, you'll turn out fine._

_Fine, oh, you'll turn out fine._

Unable to resist any longer I jump in to sing the chorus.

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

_You gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

She lets me continue.

_I know it's hard, know it's hard,_

_To remember sometimes,_

I point to my head then push it up like 3M did in the beginning.

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

I move closer to the bed.

_Only rainbows after rain_

_The sun will always come again._

_It's a circle, circling,_

I move my hand in a circular movement.

_Around again, it comes around again._

_I said,_

3M sings the next lines.

_Only rainbows after rain_

_The sun will always come again._

_It's a circle, circling,_

Copying me she moves her hand in a circular motion.

_Around again, it comes around,_

We both sing the chorus this time.

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

_You gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

I stop as 3M continues.

_I know it's hard, know it's hard_

_To remember sometimes,_

_But you gotta keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

She grabs his chin and pulls his head up straight while I join back in to finish the song off.

_Keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

_Keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down, eh._

_Keep your head up, oh,_

_And you can let your hair down._

_I said oooh _

As we conclude our little show Michael claps wildly.

Laughing 3M ruffles his hair again.

"Did you like that?" she asks.

"Yeah! Can you sing another?" he requests adamantly.

"Not tonight. If I do not leave soon your nurse is going to throw me out." She laughs again as he pouts with disappointment. Holding her pinky out, she laces it with his.

"I promise that Rachel and I will sing you another song tomorrow. Okay?"

"Okay." He obviously is still not completely happy the concession.

"Good night Mikey. I will see you tomorrow." She kisses his forehead then turns to say her goodbyes to the parents. I walk over to Michael.

"It was very nice meeting you. I look forward to singing for you tomorrow." I tell him.

"It was very nice meeting you too. Thank you for singing for me. You have an amazing voice." He replies. I blush not use to my talents being recognized by such a young audience.

"Thank you."

On our way out, 3M stops to speak with the doctor about the surgery tomorrow. I don't really understand most of it since they're talking in technical terms. We stay at a Hilton for the night. From the way 3M paces the whole night instead of sleeping I can tell that she is nervous about the surgery. We arrive at the hospital the next day a few hours before the surgery, and we manage to sing Michael four more songs.

I end up on snack duty since neither parent wants to leave the waiting room, and 3M insists on sticking close so if something happens they will hopefully have someone with a level head around. In all reality I don't mind. Sitting in the same spot for hours waiting for news that could be the greatest thing you have ever heard or the worst is not something I really want to be doing. This way I get my mind off of it.

Around four thirty the doctor finally makes his way through the doors that are marked authorized personal only. Everyone stands with bated breath as they wait for him to speak. He smiles and we all sigh in relief.

"The surgery went very well. It seems to be a success so far, but it will take some time to know for certain." He informs.

"Thank you doctor." Lucas and Helen repeat several times.

"He's still in recovery, but as soon as he's more awake he'll be moved back to his room. The nurses will let you know once he's settled." The doctor continues.

Just like last night 3M speaks with the doctor in more technical terms to find out exactly how the surgery went in more detail. By the time that they have finished their conversation Michael has been brought back to the room. He's still really out of it from the anesthesia. We stay for about an hour before 3M decides that it's time to drive up to Lima.

"The surgery went well and the doctor is very optimistic. He said that if this does not fix the problem, in the very least it will help him survive long enough to get the transplant." 3M tells Lucas and Helen just before we leave.

"And please do not hesitate to call me for anything. Rachel and I will only be a couple of hours away in Lima. I do not mind having to drive back down here."

They thank her and Michael pleads with us so we sing one final song for him. He's out before we've even sung half of it. We say our goodbyes and then we begin the last leg of our road trip. It takes us about two hours to get there and I bounce with excitement the whole way.

My excitement, however, is quickly lost when we pull up to the house I use to live in. Being assaulted by the memories of my childhood I don't even notice that I'm crying until 3M hands me I tissue.

The house had been completely paid off long before the accident. When they died the house was never sold since their will stated that I was to get ownership. The police had over the years boarded up the windows and put large locks on the doors to kept squatters out.

3M places her hand on my shoulder for moral support and as a guide to help direct my stunned body as we make our way up the rundown porch. It's kind of a shock to see the estate in such disarray. 3M jiggles the lock breaking me out of my daze.

"How are we going to get in?" I ask. 3M looks at me and her infamous smirk reappears. Reaching into her backpack she pulls out a small leather pouch.

"You spend enough time working in sketchy places and you learn a few things." She replies as she picks the lock with ease and opens the door.

The place is dusty and there either are or at some point in time animals living in the house. White cloth covers most of the furniture that hasn't been stolen. As I become lost in my memories again, 3M takes a quick tour of the premises to insure we are the only ones here.

"I'm going to pull the truck around back. If people see someone is here they might start asking questions we do not want them to ask. You see if you can find a decent place to sleep among this mess. We will begin our search in the morning." She says then walks back out the front door. We eventually curl up together in my old room. Although they are worn and dirty, my posters still hang on the walls. As I fall asleep under the gazes of my idols, my thoughts turn to mother. _I wonder what she's like. Will she even want me? She did give me away fourteen years ago. Why would she want me now? Even if she does want me how am I going to find her?_

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I hope you liked. Please review and tell me what you thought. The next chapter the detective work will begin. - Shadow Dogma**


	8. Key to my Problems

**Here is the next chapter. Thank you to all who have reviewed. Someone was wondering who or if 3M will be paired with anyone. My answer at this time is that no. She will not be paired with anyone. Things may change later since this story really doesn't have an outline. I'm just writing as it comes to me. But for now there will be no love interest for her. Please review and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Will's POV

Searching for the Berry's address is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I was sure that it wouldn't be easy since Shelby never found them, and I know how stubborn and determined that woman can be, but it's been almost a week and I have no leads at all. It's like six years ago they just disappeared from the face of the earth. Maybe if I could find someone with better computer skills they could help me look.

"Mr. Shue, what did you think?" Artie asks from his position on the stage. Artie! That's it. The kid is a genius with technology. Wait. What was it he just asked?

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" The kids all give me a strange look. They must think their coaches are going insane with how we've been acting lately.

"I asked what you thought… about our performance. Do you think it's good enough for the assembly tomorrow?"

"It was great guys. Before the assembly, we can all meet early in the choir room to go over the song one more time, and I think we'll be good. And please remember to practice your parts for Regionals. It's Saturday and if we want to win, we have to know ours songs front to back. You guys can all go home now we'll all meet up at Breadsticks around five. Artie, can I talk to you for a second?" I'm really glad that Shelby had to leave early to help Emma pick up her latest pamphlets from Fast Signs. I don't really want her knowing yet, that I'm looking for her daughter. Artie wheels his way off the stage and over to me.

"What's up Mr. Shue?" He asks.

"You're really good with computers and stuff right?" I need to know that he can help before I give him any information at all.

"Yes…" He replies confusion present in his voice.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"Sure. What do you need help with? Is your computer giving you problems? It might be that the software is outdated." This time his voice has confidence.

"No. Nothing like that." I pause. Here goes nothing. "I've been trying to get into contact with some old friends of mine. They use to live here in Lima but I haven't seen them in over fourteen years."

"Have you tried Yellowpages?" he suggests.

"I have. I've already looked for their address all over the internet but I can't find their new one." His face scrunches up in an expression of deep thought.

"If you give me their names I can see what I can find out about them."

"Thanks Artie. This is a huge help. Really, you have no idea." I respond to his offer. "Their names are Leroy and Hiram Berry. They have a fourteen year old daughter, but I never met her so I don't know her name." I thank him again before he leaves.

Once Artie has left the auditorium I collapse into a seat and run my hands through my hair. I really hope the kid can find something, anything; even if it's just her name. Seeing Shelby so sad all the time breaks my heart.

* * *

Rachel's POV

I find myself in an odd sense of Deja Vu when I wake up to my old room. Everything looks the same, but yet everything looks different. I feel like I'm living inside the movie Inception. Pushing away the memories that I don't want to confront, I roll over, grab my flash light, and make my way into the hallway looking for 3M. Wandering around I soon realize that my feet have unconsciously carried me downstairs to the basement that had been converted into a music room when I was two. Hesitantly I play a few notes on the piano in the corner. It's out of tune but in surprisingly good shape considering. I jump three miles when I hear a voice right behind me.

"You are awake." Spinning around to face 3M, I hold a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart.

"You scared me." I let out still shaky.

"Sorry." She apologizes.

"It's okay. I just didn't hear you enter. What time is it?"

"It is a little after nine. I took a quick walk around the neighborhood when I woke up. Here. I brought breakfast." She says while handing me a breakfast burrito from a bag. After grabbing her own meal, a plain yogurt and a bowl of fruit, she continues speaking.

"I thought that we could eat while we looked for any clues."

"That sounds reasonable." I respond.

"Do you know where they kept their important documents?" she asks.

"I'm not entirely sure but we could start with their office." I suggest.

"Okay. Lead the way Mausi."

We spend two hours riffling through everything in their office. We only come across old work files, a bunch of outdated bank statements, and copies of their death certificates. I don't think any of it is of real value to our search, but 3M insists on keeping all of the bank statements and the certificates. For what I have no idea, but she is supposed to be the genius so I'll let her do what she wants. After that we head back downstairs to look through some of the supply closets. We're on our fifth box of the last closet when 3M's iPhone beeps with an alert.

"What's up?" I ask.

Looking through these boxes is not fun. We haven't found any real clues yet. Most of the boxes have been looted, and I keep running into spiders and mouse droppings. Ewww! Any distraction is welcome at this point.

"It is an email from a friend. She works for the FBI. I asked her if she could send me the police reports of the accident without making the local cops suspicious." She replies staring at her phone.

"Do you have friends everywhere?" 3M has got to be the most interesting person I have ever met. She sends me one of her smirks.

"You continue looking through those boxes while I read this." She goes and sits by the piano where we have spread out all the information that she has deemed as possibly important.

An hour later all I've managed to find is a strange looking key with the number 3974 on it, an old photo album, and my great grandma's journal from World War Two. I go over to 3M with my findings. She is sitting crisscross and bent over a map that has three different points highlighted.

"What's with the map?" I ask. She looks up at me then back down, shuffling some papers.

"This blue dot is your house, the yellow is the lawyer's office and the orange is the scene of the accident." She explains pointing them out.

"It does not make sense." She huffs after a pause.

"What doesn't make sense?"

"The location of the crash. The lawyers office is in the other direction than what they were traveling." Shaking her head she brings her gaze back up to me. "And why would they not have a copy of the contract. You said that one of them was a lawyer." She pauses for confirmation which I give in the form of a nod. "All the lawyers I know keep at least one copy if not two of their own personal contracts."

"I guess they really didn't want me getting in contact with her." I supply.

"That would just be more of a reason to have a copy in case your mother tried to break it." She rebuts. She chews her lip in thought for a minute before her gaze falls to the items in my hands.

"I didn't find much. Just a photo album, my great grandma's journal, and some key." I relay my findings. Looking at the key intensely she grabs it from my grasp.

"This is a key to a safe deposit box." She says as she starts searching among the bank statements we had found up in the office.

"Here, hold this." She requests as she hands me the flash light she's been using. It takes her a minute to find the statement she's looking for. When she finds it she grabs the death certificate that says Hiram Berry on it. She stares at the papers for a while then looks down at the map and puts a green dot not far from the orange one. She then hands the papers to me and points at the dates and details.

"This statement came a week before their deaths. It is a receipt for a payment on a safe deposit box." She points to the names on the two papers. "The death certificate says Hiram Berry, but the statement is addressed to a Hiram Kunst." I look up at her in confusion.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"It means that the bank was likely never notified of his death and the police likely never found out about this account."

"Wouldn't the bank have cleaned the box out by now? It's been six years." Shaking her head no she points back to the bank statement.

"Hiram had just pre-paid for use of the box for a ten year period. That period is not up for another four years. The box most likely has not been touched." She states then points back to the map. "My guess would be that they kept a copy of the contract at the bank so that you would never find it at home. That night they were on their way to the bank to get the copy to bring with to the meeting with the lawyer." I'm finding it a little difficult to breath. I may actually get to meet my mom.

"So… You really think that the contract is there?" I ask trying to keep my excitement down.

"I am not going to guarantee anything but it is highly likely." Is her reply. I jump up and start moving to the staircase.

"I think the bank should still be open. If we hurry we can make it in time." I ramble. Before I can even take one step up the stairs 3M is pulling me back down.

"Hold on a minute Mausi. We cannot just waltz into the bank and say 'Hi. I am some random stranger and I picked up this orphan from Seattle, whose dead dad has a safe deposit box here under a different name than what is on his death certificate. We are just going to have a look now.' I am pretty sure that would get me thrown in jail and you sent back into the system" Her response angers me. Stupid logic. I huff.

"Fine. Then what do we do?"

"I say that we go out and have dinner at that restaurant, Breadsticks then we can go by the bank to check it out. If you let me sleep on this I should have a plan by tomorrow morning. Sound reasonable?" She asks. Huffing again I consent.

"Fine. But I'm ordering the most expensive thing on the menu." Laughing she leads me up the stairs.

"That is fine by me. Remember, I am technically not even paying for your dinner." I scowl. Stupid deal. Why do I have to be so honest when it comes to matters concerning money?

After dinner 3M decides that we should walk by the bank after we've passed it first with the truck. She said that she wants pass the building slower than would be possible in the truck without making it obvious that we're casing the joint. As we leave the restaurant and head towards the car 3M stops a teenager who looks to be about my age. She's wearing a red and white cheerleading uniform with WMHS printed on the front.

"Excuse me miss. Can you tell us where Ninth Avenue is? We are trying to find the bank of America." The blonde tilts her head to the side with a confused expression on her face.

"Why would you want to go there?" she asks. 3M and I share a look of confusion of our own.

"Because I need to get money out of the ATM." 3M responds.

"I don't use the bank. Lord Tubbington told me they torture baby rabbits there to get the location of the Goose." She answers matter-of-factly.

"What goose?" Is she on something?

"The Goose that lays the golden egg." Probably on something.

"Brittany!" A group of teenagers accompanied by two adults call out.

She turns to look at them then turns back to us.

"I hope you find your magic train." She says with a smile then waves at us and skips away. Definitely on something. I look over at 3M and she looks over at me.

"I will just use my phone." 3M states, clearly as baffled as I am.

* * *

Shelby's POV

I'm unable to tear my gaze away as the young girl and the woman who were talking to Brittany get into a beat up old Ford F-150 and drive away. There is something about that girl. Something that… Will jolts me from my thoughts when his hand rests on my shoulder. I turn to look at him.

"You okay?" He asks.

"Yeah. Yes, I'm fine. I just spaced for a second." I reply then head into Breadsticks and start a conversation with Tina so he can't start one with me.

* * *

**Sorry Shelby's scene was so small, but I was really not planning on putting that in there until I read Jordann34's review where it was requested. I know that it's probably not exactly what you wanted but I may build on that thought later. Thanks for reading. And please review. I really do take in to account what you guys post when I'm writing. - Shadow Dogma**


	9. Signature

**Hi everyone. This is the next part. I don't really know how it turned out. I'm sorry if this chapter sucks. Anyways I just want thank everyone who has reviewed. Please tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Will's POV

"Okay everyone. I know that they're going to love your performance, so how about we go out there and give it our all." I say encouraging them. They all look like they are about to go on a death march or something. Santana scoffs.

"Yeah. They'll love it just like they did last time. You know when we were booed off the stage and pelted with water balloons filled with cat pee." She remarks sarcastically.

"I don't want to smell like cat pee again Mr. Shue." Brittany pipes out then turns to whisper to Santana, even though we can all still hear her.

"Lord Tubbington wouldn't speak to me for a week."

"Guys. It's going to be fine. That was months ago, before we had won Sectionals." I try again. They still look unconvinced.

"It doesn't matter if they still don't like us, you won't have to worry about being pelted with cat pee; Coach Sylvester made sure of that. Besides, no great performer ever made it to the top without being rejected at least once in their career." Shelby speaks with wisdom from beside me. They grumble and begin to reluctantly make their way to the gym. I watch them leave and I notice Artie does so even more hesitatingly than the rest. The kid's been giving me strange looks since Spanish. Shaking it off I turn to Shelby.

"How did you manage to convince Sue to do that?" Sue never does anything for the New Directions. Smirking she heads towards the door.

"I just told her that with the missing rats from the science wing it would be a shame if they were to be found nesting in the new Cheerios' uniforms." I follow after her.

Sue Sylvester may be a diabolical genius, but I think she's met her match in one Shelby Corcoran.

Reaching the gym it's obvious that Figgins has been droning on for quite some time since half the student body is asleep.

"….And now I'd like to introduce you to your very own glee club, the New Directions." He steps off the stage as Emma starts jumping up and down in her seat clapping.

"Yay! New Directions!" She's the only one cheering. The kids come out and get into position.

_**Finn:**_

_Can_

_**New Directions:**_

_Anybody_

_Find me_

_Somebody to love?_

_**Santana:**_

_Ooooooh_

_Each morning I get up I die a little_

_Can barely stand on my feet_

_**Finn (New Directions):**_

_(Take a look at yourself) Take a look, _

_(In the mirror) In the mirror and cry (And cry!)_

_Lord what you're doing to me (Yeah, yeah)_

_**Santana (New Directions):**_

_I have (Ooooh) spent all my years in _

_**Santana with New Directions:**_

_Believing you_

_But I just can't get no relief,_

_Lord_

_**Finn (New Directions):**_

_Somebody, (Somebody)_

_**Santana and Finn with New Directions:**_

_Oooh somebody (Somebody)_

_Can anybody find me_

_**Finn: **_

_Somebody to love?_

_**Artie (New Directions):**_

_I work hard (He works hard)_

_Every day of my life_

_**Artie and Mercedes:**_

_I work till I ache in my bones_

_**Artie (New Directions):**_

_At the end (At the end of the day)_

_**Artie (New Directions):**_

_I take home (Works hard!) my hard earned pay all on my own (Get down on my knees, oh!)_

_**Mercedes (New Directions):**_

_I get down (Down!) on my knees (Knees)_

_And I start to pray (Praise the lord!)_

_**Mercedes with New Directions harmonizing:**_

_'Till the tears run down from my eyes, (__**with New Directions:**__ lord)_

_**Finn (New Directions):**_

_Somebody, (Somebody)_

_**Finn and Mercedes:**_

_Oooh somebody_

_**Santana and Finn with New Directions:**_

_Can anybody find me _

_**Santana:**_

_Somebody to love?_

_**Artie (New Directions):**_

_(He works hard) Everyday (Everyday)_

_(__**with New Directions:**__ I try and I try and I try)_

_**Santana with New Directions harmonizing:**_

_But everybody wants to put me down_

_They say I'm goin' crazy_

_**Artie with New Directions harmonizing:**_

_They say I got a lot of water in my brain_

_**Artie (New Directions):**_

_Got no common sense _

_I got (His got) (__**with New Directions:**__ nobody left to believe) _

_No, Ooooooh (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!)_

_**Finn (New Directions):**_

_(Ooooh, Lord) Oh, somebody (Somebody)_

_**Finn and Mercedes:**_

_Oooh somebody _

_**Santana and Finn with New Directions:**_

_Can anybody find me _

_**Mercedes:**_

_Somebody to love_

_**New Directions: **_

_Can anybody find me someone to love?_

_**Finn (New Directions):**_

_Got no feel, I got no rhythm_

_I just keep losing my beat (You just keep losing and losing)_

_**Santana (New Directions):**_

_I'm ok (Yeah), I'm alright (She's alright, she's alright)_

_(Yeah... yeah...) I ain't gonna face no defeat_

_**Finn and Santana (New Directions):**_

_(Ooooh...)I just gotta get out of (__**with New Directions:**__ this prison cell)_

_**Finn and Santana with New Directions:**_

_Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord!_

_**New Directions (New Directions Girls):**_

_Find me somebody to love_

_Find me somebody to love_

_Find me somebody to love_

_Find me somebody to love (__**Finn:**__ Oooooh)_

_Find me somebody to love_

_Find me somebody to love (Love) (__**Mercedes:**__ Heee, Oooh)_

_Find me somebody to love (Love) __**(Artie:**__ Somebody)_

_Find me somebody to love, uh-oh, uh-oh (__**Finn**__: Oooooooh) _

_Find me somebody to love (Love)_

_Find me somebody to love (Love)(__**Santana:**__ Ooh, Ooh)_

_Somebody, Somebody!_

_Somebody, Somebody! (__**Artie**__: Ooh, find me, find me, find me)_

_Somebody, Somebody!_

_Somebody, Find me somebody to love_

_**Santana and Mercedes with New Directions:**_

_Can anybody find me..._

_**Mercedes:**_

_Somebody to love?!_

_**New Directions:**_

_Find me (__**Mercedes:**__ Ooooh) Somebody to love (__**Santana:**__ Somebody find me)_

_Find me (__**Finn:**__ Find me) Somebody to love (__**Santana:**__ Somebody find me)_

_Find me (__**Mercedes:**__ Somebody to love) Somebody to love (__**Artie:**__ Somebody, Somebody, Somebody)_

_Find me somebody to love (__**Mercedes:**__ Somebody to love) (__**Finn:**__ Loove)_

_Find me (__**Mercedes:**__ Uuuuh) Somebody to love (__**Santana:**__ Somebody to love)_

_Find me (__**Finn:**__ Somebody to love) Somebody to love_

_**Santana:**_

_Find me (__**New Directions:**__ Find me)_

_Somebody (__**New Directions:**__ Somebody)_

_To (__**Finn:**__ To)_

_**Finn and Mercedes with New Directions:**_

_Oooh, Love!_

As the first song ends I'm surprised to hear some clapping. Finn and Quinn step to the middle of the stage and begin singing The Time of my Life. Looking to the side I catch Artie's gaze again. I really need to talk to him after glee practice.

* * *

Rachel's POV

We're parked outside of the bank right now and I feel like I'm going to pass out. Looking at 3M I can see no evidence that she's nervous at all.

"Sooo… What's the plan?" I ask. Turning to look at me she gives me a once over.

"How good are you at acting?"

"I'm pretty good. Why? What did you have in mind?" She glances back at the bank.

"I am going to go in there and set up an account with a safe deposit box. In fifteen minutes I want you to come in and get in line. Once I am in the safe and the security guard that watches the boxes is standing back at the door, I want you to fake an asthma attack." She explains her plan. "Make sure you create a large commotion. While the guard goes to see what is happening I will use the key you found and my lock picking skills to get into the box. Do you think that you can do that?"

"Yes. I just have one question. How long do I have to fake the attack?" I ask.

"Once I have whatever is in the box I will come out and announce that I am a doctor. Just follow my lead and you will be fine." She answers while handing me the keys and leaving the truck.

After waiting the longest ten minutes of my life, I make my way into the bank. As I get into line as instructed I notice 3M is just now being lead to the safe deposit boxes. I'm almost to the teller when the guard finally reappears by the door. Here goes nothing.

I start breathing hard, then coughing as violently as I can. I'm starting to draw attention but it's not enough. Moving onto wheezing I stagger myself over to the counter and pretend that I'm having trouble breathing.

"Are you okay miss?" The teller asks me.

"I…huhh…can't….huhh…breath…huhh…" The guard still hasn't noticed. Time to take my performance to the next level. I force myself to hyperventilate at an increasing rate then I do the only thing I know will get the man's attention. I drop to the ground.

Several seconds later the guard is by my side. Yess! Now all I need to do is keep up the charade until 3M comes over. About a minute after the guard showed up I see a blurred image of 3M over my head through the tears I've managed to make appear.

"I am a doctor. Please move aside give the girl some air, she is having an asthma attack." The people part for her like the Red Sea. "Do you have an inhaler?" She asks. What am I supposed to say? Deciding to go with my gut I nod my head yes.

"Where is it? Is it in your car?" Again I nod my head yes. She reaches into my jacket pocket and pulls out her keys. "I am going to be right back just keep your knees pulled up and your head down. Try to take as deep of breathes as you can." She instructs before sprinting out of the bank. When she returns there's an inhaler in her hand.

"Here. Nice and easy." I grab the inhaler and use it as though I've had one for years. Whoever said TV is useless was wrong. The inhaler is empty but it still makes the noise so the observers are none the wiser. I gradually ease my breathing down to normal. 3M moves me to a chair and the crowd slowly disperses until it is just 3M, the guard and me.

"Are you okay now miss?" 3M asks.

"Yes." I answer breathlessly. She turns to the guard.

"Thank you for your help. I think I am going to take her to the hospital. That was a very serious attack and I want to get her there before another one occurs." The guard quickly agrees and 3M escorts me outside and into the truck. I must admit that 3M is a pretty good actor, maybe even better than me.

We drive for about ten minutes before 3M pulls into a secluded park and gets out bringing her laptop with her. I follow quickly. Reaching a picnic table she pulls out a manila envelope and a gold watch from under her shirt and puts them on the table followed by her laptop.

"This is what I found in the box." She says after five minutes go by with neither of us speaking. I'm staring intently at the envelope. I think I might be having a real asthma attack right now.

* * *

Will's POV

The assembly seemed to be a success, considering we weren't booed or pelted, and this strange turn of events seems to have given them all some confidence. This is the best they've sung in weeks. If they keep this up through tomorrow we may actually have a chance at beating the Warblers.

"That was great guys. Sing like this tomorrow and we've got Regionals in the bag." I say enthusiastically.

"Make sure you are here before nine or the bus will leave without you. We wait for no one." Shelby adds.

"Have a wonderful evening and get plenty of sleep tonight." I conclude. The kids begin to gather their things to head home. I notice that Artie is purposely moving slow. Turning to Shelby we say our goodbyes and I wait till it's just me and Artie.

"Did you find an address for the Berrys?" I ask him. Shaking his head uneasily he hands me a small stack of papers.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shue."He says. I'm confused by the apology until my gaze land on the papers. My eyes widen once they've focused on the death certificates of Leroy and Hiram.

"I looked for their address but couldn't find anything so I then searched the states website of public documents to see if something would come up. I found these then I did a general search concerning their deaths and found a bunch of newspaper articles." He pauses. "Again I'm really sorry about your friends Mr. Shue." He turns to wheel away.

"Wait!" He stops. "What about their daughter? Is she…dead also?" I can barely get it out. I pray beyond all hope that she isn't.

"No. Their daughter's not dead." He leaves the classroom and all I can think is, _how in the world am I going to tell Shelby?_

* * *

Rachel's POV

After staring at the envelope for thirty minutes I've finally worked up the courage to pull the papers out.

Inside are copies of birth certificates, some financial documents, and…. my heart stops. It's the contract. Flipping through the pages I come to the last one. Above the line labeled mother is her signature.

Shelby Corcoran

My mother's name is Shelby Corcoran.

I don't know how long I stare at the signature but the next thing I know 3M is pulling the paper away from me. I'm in too much of a shock to complain. I know my mother's name! Shelby Corcoran.

"Hey! Earth to Mausi. Rachel!" 3M screams to get my attention.

"Yeah." I say dazed.

"Do you want to look her up on the internet?" She asks pointing to her laptop.

"Yeah…Yes! Yes I do." I state coming out of my reverie.

Standing next to her I watch as she types my mother's name into the google search bar. Information pops up within seconds. She starred in a couple of off-Broadway musicals from 1995 to 1999. My mother was in musicals! I hope she loves Barbra just as much as I do. She attended NYU for a teaching degree after that. When I was ten she moved back to Ohio and took over Vocal Adrenaline, the glee club at Carmel High. They took Nationals four times consecutively. She now teaches at William McKinley High School in….

"She's here." I mumble in disbelief. Turning to 3M, "She's here! In Lima!"

She smiles at me. "Do you want to go meet her now?"

"I…." _Do I want to meet her? Of course. But, what if she doesn't want me? What if she's a mean, terrible person? What if she wants a daughter, but I'm not what she's expecting? I know that I have a rather strong personality. When I want something I get it no matter the cost. I can also be demanding._ Biting my lip I slump down onto the bench, my excitement from before gone now.

"What is wrong Mausi? This is what you wanted." 3M says.

"I did want it, I do want it. It's just that…" I sigh and look down. "What if she doesn't want me?"

3M sighs, sits down next to me, and puts her arm around my shoulder.

"If it comes to that, and that is a big if, than…" she hesitates, "I will adopt you. There is no way I am letting you back into the system."

"You'd…you'd do that for me?" I ask unsure.

"I would." She answers sincerely.

"I'm still nervous about it though. I really, really want to know my mom, but I'm afraid of the rejection." I admit.

"Well. There may be a way for you to get to know your mom without her rejecting you." 3M states.

"How?" I question.

"You enroll at William McKinley as Rachel Mauer, my sister, and you join the glee club." She points out making it seem completely obvious. "That way you get to know her, and she cannot reject you because you are a student."

I smile up at 3M. She is definitely a genius.

Turing back to her computer she looks up the WMHS home page.

"I can do most of the paperwork from here but we will need to talk to the office on Monday as well." she says.

"Hey. Look at that." I'm pointing to help wanted notification in the corner. She looks at me.

"What about it?"

"Well... we're going to need a cover story as to why we moved to Lima. The school needs a nurse and you are more than qualified. It would be the perfect story. Plus, it would be good to have some sort of income coming in." I state.

"That is actually a great idea."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Please review. Things are about to get really interesting start either in the next chapter or the one after. - Shadow Dogma**


	10. Old Friends and New Beginnings

**Here is the next chapter. Sorry for the wait. I really hope you enjoy it. I want to say ahead of time that I didn't put all of the lyrics of the song in, but I put most of them. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Rachel's POV

"You are going to bounce your leg right off if you do not calm down."3M says as she returns to our seats with two bottles of water, a bag of M&M's for me, and an apple for herself. Where she found the apple I have no idea, since I'm pretty sure they're not selling those at the snack bar.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous about seeing my mom." I reply and stop my shaking left leg.

"We can always leave if you feel overwhelmed." She assures while sitting down.

"No. I want to stay. I need to stay. And besides, it's not like I'm actually meeting her today." I pause to look at my program. "I also want to know if the New Directions are any good; see what type of talent I will be working with." She watches me for a second then turns to the stage as the Warblers come out.

"Just remember what I said." She remarks.

* * *

Shelby's POV

"Everyone gather around. Now, I know that we can beat Oral Intensity, but the Warblers' performance was great. We really need to be on top of our game, but I believe in you guys and I know we can do it." Will gives one of his pep talks, something I've never been that great at. I'm more one for constructive criticism than coddling.

"Finn, remember to keep on count with your steps during the dance routine of the second number. We don't need you falling off stage like last time. Tina, I want you to concentrate more on singing than dancing during the Florence and the Machines number, that's what Brittany and Mike are for. If we are going to win this you need to hit that high note. Mercedes, tone it down during Quinn and Puck's solos, your voice is wonderful, but can sometimes be too powerful. And Santana, I'm begging you do not flash the audience like you did during the halftime show for the homecoming game." I impart everything I can think of to help them. They have a chance at winning today if they keep their acts together. Nationals though, is another story.

"Break a leg everyone!" Will shouts out as they run to take their spots on stage for the first number.

* * *

Rachel's POV

By the end of the final note of their performance, I already know who won. At least who should win, you never know with judges. Turning to my left I find 3M staring at me.

"What?"

"Who do you think won?" She asks.

"Oral Intensity was mediocre at best, and the Warblers lacked depth. There was no feeling in their performance and their song choices are overused and predictable. I have to admit that they have quite a few talented voices but it's not enough. They also are at a disadvantage because they have no female lead." She laughs at my ramble.

"So you think the New Directions will win." I shake my head yes.

"They should, although I saw a number of flaws. The Asian girl was a good singer but she was sharp near the end, and the Blonde girl who sang after the kid with the Mohawk doesn't have the best range. They're good, really good. They should win this, but they'll never win at Nationals. To win at Nationals they need a singer that is more than good, or great, they need one that is extraordinary." She gives me an inquisitive look.

"How do you know so much about singing?" she asks.

"When I was younger I was in every dance class, vocal class, and theater class available. After the accident I had to stop." I bit my lip. "A couple of years ago I found this studio in Seattle. Every day after school I would climb up the fire escape and sneak in through the window to the attic. There was a hole in the ceiling so I could see and hear everything that was going on below. I took notes on all of it and practiced by myself later." I reveal. Instead of scolding she laughs again. I'm beginning to think that not a lot can make her mad.

"You know, most orphans would be breaking into houses or businesses to steal money and valuables; not breaking into a studio to learn how to sing and dance. You are one strange kid Mausi." I go to stick my tongue out at her when the lights dim again signaling the time has come to announce the winners. Taking a deep breath I grasp 3M's hand so tightly I'm sure that I'm cutting off the blood supply. As the groups gather together on the stage, I watch my mother and a man with curly brown hair walk to stand in front of their group. The host comes to the microphone and pulls the card out of the envelope.

"In third place we have…..Oral Intensity!" He claps his hands and gives them there third place trophy.

"And in second place we have…..the Dalton Academy Warblers! First place goes to William McKinley High School's New Directions!" He presents each team with their trophies. My mother's smiling and everyone around her are hugging each other and celebrating. The only thing I can think is that we have the same smile.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Taking a huge sigh, I add my new letter to the box and shove it back under my bed. I look at my clock and head into my kitchen to set the table. Will should be here soon with some type of take out. We've gotten into the habit after performances of coming here, eating dinner and discussing what the kids did well and what they need to improve on. Several minutes later, I hear him come in and put down a plastic bag on the table.

"What did you get?" I shout out.

"Chinese."

"Great. I'm starved." I say as I enter the dining room and start dishing out the food.

Throughout the whole meal we ate in silence, and Will had hardly eaten anything on his plate. I take the dishes into the kitchen and throw away the garbage. When I come back he's still sitting in the same position. Sighing I sit down next to him.

"What's up?" He shrugs.

"We just won Regionals. You should be ecstatic, not looking like someone just shot your dog." I prompt. He sighs and looks up at me.

"After you told me that you tried looking for an address for the Berrys, I did my own research." I tense upon hearing this. _And I was having such a good night. _

"Just like you I couldn't find one. So I asks Artie to help…."

"YOU DID WHAT! Why on earth would you tell Artie about my personal life!?" I interrupt furious at him.

"Relax. I didn't tell him about what happened. I told him that they were old friends of mine that I had lost contact with then I asked him if he could help me to find them." He explained, letting my blood pressure return to normal.

"Did he….did he find anything?" I ask. _Oh please tell me he found something, anything. _

"He did find something." He pauses and I nearly die. "Six years ago the Berry men were…Shelby, they were killed."

"Killed…" I let out in disbelief. He shakes his head sadly. "H..how?" I manage to fumble out.

"Car crash." _Oh God! My Baby! _

"My daughter…"

"Was not in the car." He cuts me off, and I blow out a sigh of relief.

"Did you find out her name?" I ask hesitantly. He smiles for the first time.

"Rachel. Rachel Barbra Berry." _Rachel Barbra. My daughter's name is Rachel Barbra Berry. _Tears are streaming down my face, but I don't care because after fourteen long years I finally know my daughter's name.

"Wait. The contract was to become void if both men were to die. Why was she…Rachel never sent to live with me?" _This doesn't make sense. _The smile leaves his face as he shakes his head.

"I don't know. The newspaper articles only said that the police were unable to locate her mother or any living relatives." He says then looks down. "Social Services took custody of her." He finishes quietly.

"What! My baby has been living in the system for six years!" I jump from my seat and start pacing.

"Shelby. Shelby you need to calm down…"

"Calm down. Calm down! DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! My daughter has been living for nearly half of her life in probably the worst places you could ever send a child. Oh God! What if she's being abused and starved? What if she's a drug addict and a criminal? What if…" Will cuts off my mental break down by wrapping me up into his arms. I let out a wail of anguish for my daughter.

* * *

Monday Morning Rachel's POV

I'm currently sitting outside of the Principal's office while I wait for 3M and Mr. Figgins to finish going over the terms of her employment. I just need to make it through this first day and I should be able to survive the rest. The first day is always the hardest. Scanning back over my new schedule, my eyes land on fourth period English with Ms. Corcoran. English with my mother. _No, Rachel. Stop calling her that or you'll mess up the plan and let it slip._ I need to remember my cover. I'm Rachel Rose Mauer. Sister of Maddalyn Maria Mauer, who is my legal guardian since our parents, Florian and Anna, abandoned us when 3M was fifteen.

"Thank you Principal Figgins." 3M says as she opens the door of his office.

"No. Thank you Ms. Mauer. Since our old nurse Gertrude got arrested for tackling the Governor, we have not been able to find anyone with adequate experience or training. In fact we had quite the debacle a couple of months ago when our Spanish teacher's ex-wife was hired and gave the entire glee club performance enhancers." They shake hands and he goes back inside his office. 3M walks over to me.

"Are you ready for your first day?" She asks.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She laughs and picks up my new backpack and hands it to me.

"If you need anything just come find me in my new office." We say our goodbyes and she leaves to the nurse's office while I head out to find my locker. Being a tiny person has always worked to my advantage; like right now. As the new kid in the school you don't really want everyone to take notice of you. At least in my experience. I find my locker with relative ease and put my things inside. I look at my schedule for first period. Math. Ugh. Math first period. Really? Oh well.

* * *

Shelby's POV

I'm exhausted. No. I'm beyond exhausted. I cried myself to sleep Saturday night in Will's arms. When I woke up at six I went straight to my phone and called Social Services. They said that I had no proof that I am her mother and that they can't divulge any information. Since then I've been calling anyone and everyone I can think of to find out where my Daughter is. I keep getting the same response. It's either they don't have any information or they won't give it out. My head is throbbing, I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours, and I think I may pass out soon. These last couple of weeks have been terrible. My coffee isn't even helping anymore. I'm lucky that I haven't found any grey hairs yet. Although, if I don't find my baby soon I might.

I have no idea how I'm going to make it through the rest of the day. I still have two classes to go and glee club. Ugh. Glee club. I really don't want to deal with them right now. They'll all be hyped up on their win and not want to learn anything. And don't even get me started on Nationals. They think they can win it, but I know that they can't. We need a stronger star than Tina. Don't get me wrong. She's a wonderful singer, but her voice still needs training. No. We need someone with raw, heart stopping, goose bump giving talent. With our win at Regionals we may be able to convince one or two students to join. Oh, who am I kidding? We're doomed, I'm a mess, and Will is caught in between. I really need to sleep. I think I'll do that during my prep period instead of call Social Services. They'll just say the same thing anyway.

* * *

Rachel's POV

The first three periods go by rather uneventful. No one took notice of me. Even the teachers seemed disinterested in their new student. Well, they actually seemed disinterested in school in general. The classes here are way too easy. I grab my lunch from my locker and head towards the cafeteria. As I turn the corner I run straight into the chest of someone. Catching my balance I look up to find it's the Mohawk guy from Regionals. I go to apologize when my eyes connect with his. I know those eyes. Those hazel eyes belong to the only friend I have ever had, not including 3M.

"Noah?" I mutter in disbelief.

"Berry?" He says back which knocks me from my headspace. I glance around quickly to see if anyone had overheard. Thankfully the hallways are empty. I grab his hand and drag him into an unoccupied classroom.

"It's really you." He says, clearly in as much of a shock as I am.

"Yes. It's really me Noah." I reply.

"I…I..how? I thought that you were somewhere in Illinois now." I grab his hand and force him to look me in the eyes.

"Noah. You can't tell anyone who I am, or that I'm here. No one. Not even your mom." I plead with him. Everything will be ruined if I can't get him to keep his mouth shut. He looks at me with confusion and concern.

"Why? What's going on?" Should I tell him or not? If he's anything like he was when he was eight than he won't stop until he knows what's going on, and he'll burn every bridge to get the information. Plus, he might come in useful since Shelby is his coach. Before I know it, I've told him everything from my first night in a foster house to right up until we ran into each other. It feels good to get it all off my chest. I haven't even told 3M about everything.

"$#*! Rach. That's a lot of crap to go through." He says, and I scowl at him.

"Language Noah." I scold. He laughs right as the bell rings.

"What class do you have next?" He asks.

"I have English with her." He smiles.

"Well at least you won't be alone. I have Ms. C next as well." He stands up and offers me his arm. Smiling I take it. When we reach the door I grip his arm tighter. He gives my hand a pat of support and we march in together. She's sitting at her desk slightly bent over some papers. Every once in a while she writes something on them with her red pen. Noah guides us to her desk.

"Coach." He calls to get her attention. She looks up and sets her pen down. She looks exhausted but you can still see that she is a very pretty woman. Sighing she gives us a curious glance.

"What Puck?" she asks exasperatedly.

"This is Rachel Mauer. She's new here." He answers. Her gaze drifts once more to me, and I think I might faint.

"Sorry." She stands and offers her hand to me. "I'm Ms. Corcoran. I was told I was getting a new student today, but I completely forgot." I'm in so much shock I don't even register what she's said. Noah pinchs my arm and I jolt out of my fog and grab her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm looking forward to this class. I've always been good at English. Not so much at math, but I always make sure that I maintain a B in the class anyways." I ramble out. We stand in awkward silence for several seconds. She clears her throat.

"You can sit in the seat next to Puck. If he distracts you too much I can more you tomorrow." She instructs. Noah shows me to my seat as other students file in. When I sit down I let out a shaky breath. I can't believe I just spoke with my mom. A group of girls walk in that I recognize from Regionals. They walk over to Noah and start talking with him. He's about to introduce me to them, when Ms. Corcoran tells everyone to take a seat.

"Before we get started today, I'd like to welcome a new student. Rachel, why don't you come up here and introduce yourself, maybe tell us a little about yourself." She says. Taking a deep breath I make my way to the front.

* * *

Shelby's POV

I'm glad that I already planned to watch _Romeo and Juliet_ today, because there is no way I could teach a lesson. And the new girl. Really! Your name just had to be Rachel. Okay. That's not really her fault but it does make my heart hurt every time I hear it. I watch as she comes to stand in front of the class. Just another teenager that loves to listen to music and watch "classic" movies like _Legally Blonde_. Seriously! _Legally Blonde_ is not a classic. A classic is something like _Funny Girl_, or _The Way We Were_.

"Hi. I'm Rachel Rose Mauer. I'm new here obviously. I um, I live with my older sister Maddalyn. She's the new nurse here. I love to sing and dance. My favorite movies are _Funny Girl_, _West Side Story_, and _The Phantom of the Opera_. And I hope that one day I will be on Broadway."

My interest level in what she's saying goes from about a one on a scale of ten, to an eleven on a scale of ten the minute I hear the word sing. I need to get to this girl before the popular kids do. We need every good voice that we can find if we even want to make it past the first round at Nationals. She finishes talking and makes her way back to her seat. I see Puck give her a wink. Warning her about Noah wouldn't be a bad idea either. I make a mental note on that and put the film in. I go sit in the back of the class with the rouse that I'm there to ensure no one talks. Really I'm there so that I can take a nap without them noticing.

The bell rings about forty minutes later waking me from my slumber. Rubbing my eyes I pause the movie and turn the lights back on.

"Rachel, can I speak to you for a second?" I call out getting her attention. She nods her head nervously and makes her way over to me.

"Yes Ms. Corcoran?"

"I just wanted to say that you don't have to worry about making up any assignments, and we just started a new unit today so you haven't missed anything. If you feel like you're struggling with something just come and let me know. I will help you." I say.

"Thank you Ms. Corcoran. That means a lot. So far you're the only teacher that's really acknowledged me today." I laugh.

"Unfortunately there aren't a lot of teachers here that really teach." I pause. "You said that you like to sing. The Spanish teacher Mr. Schuester and I co-coach a glee club here. We just won our Regionals this weekend. If you're interested in joining, you can come to the auditorium after school." She smiles.

"That would be great. I think I will." She replies. Spotting Puck lingering in the doorway, I lean in close.

"Watch out with Puck. He can be a really sweet kid, but he's also bad news, tends to use girls." I advise. She smirks and glances back at him.

"I kind of figured that out with the Mohawk and all the flirting he did during the movie." I laugh and she leaves for her next class.

I shut my classroom door and turn off the lights.

"Thank God for prep period." I say to myself as I lay my head on my desk.

When I walk into the auditorium later I find myself looking forward to glee club today, despite the massive headache. Everyone has already arrived and I'm pleasantly surprised to see that Rachel has joined us.

"I see everyone has already acquainted themselves with our newest member, Rachel." I say.

"Yeah….About that. We're all for getting new members, but has she even auditioned? If we're going to win at Nationals than we can't have someone dragging us down." Quinn says. I turn to Rachel.

"Quinn's right. You do need to audition. Can you have something prepared for…"

"I'm prepared right now. I just have to warm up my voice." She says cutting me off.

"Alright. Everyone take a seat in the audience." We all head down to the seats. I catch a shadow lurking in the backgrounds as I take a seat. That better not be our competition. Rachel finishes her warm ups quickly and then ques the band to start. I know what song it is right away.

_And now I'm all alone again nowhere to turn, no one to go to_

_Without a home, without a friend, without a face to say hello to_

_And now the night is near_

_Now I can make believe he's here_

She's good. Really good. Conveys the emotions very well. Theatricality. Most of the time I have to drill it into the kids before they get it. She seems to be born with it.

_On my own_

_Pretending he's beside me_

_All alone,_

_I walk with him 'til morning_

_Without him,_

_I feel his arms around me_

_And when I lose my way I close my eyes_

_And he has found me_

She's more than good. She phenomenal.

_In the rain, the pavement shines like silver_

_All the lights are misty in the river_

_In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight_

_And all I see is him and me forever and forever_

_I love him_

_But when the night is over_

_He is gone,_

_The river's just a river_

_Without him,_

_The world around me changes!_

_The trees are bare and everywhere_

_The streets are full of strangers..._

_I love him_

_But every day I'm learning_

_All my life,_

_I've only been pretending_

_Without me,_

_His world would go on turning_

_A world that's full of happiness_

_That I have never known_

Wow.

_I love him..._

_I love him..._

_I love him..._

_But only on my own…_

We may win Nationals after all, because Rachel Mauer has just become our saving grace.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you thought. - Shadow Dogma**


	11. The Start of Something

**I'm so sorry for the delay. My life has been very hectic as of late. I'm hoping that in a week or two everything will be back to normal and I'll then be able to post more regularly. You never know with life though. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

Rachel's POV

I finish singing and I turn my gaze to the audience. Everything is dead silent for several seconds before a round of applause breaks out.

"Sweet Barbra, where have you been hiding." A pale boy dressed in chic clothing utters out once the clapping has died down. I think he said his name is Kurt. I'm not really paying him much attention right now though. I'm too focused on watching my mother's face for a reaction.

"That was wonder…" Mr. Schuester begins only to be interrupted by my mom.

"Good." Pause. "That was very good." Another pause. "You needed to hold your gut in further during the fourth verse; but you sang the song very well." Pause. Well, at least now I know where I get my dramatic personality from. "You're in." She finally reveals with a small smile that I match with my own dazzling grin. Fighting the enteral battle raging in my head, I finally mange to calm myself long enough to reply logically.

"Thank you so much Ms. Corcoran. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Welcome to the club Rachel. Mike, Brittany, can you guys try to bring her up to speed on the dance routine while I speak with Ms. Corcoran? Everyone else, I want you practicing as well; especially you Finn." Mr. Schuester says. While waiting for the club to climb up onto the stage, I cast another glance at my mom. My mom. I still can't believe that I know her, that I've spoken with her. This is literally a dream come true for me.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Wow. That girl is talented. A bit untrained and rough, but with that raw talent and my coaching ability she would be unstoppable. If I didn't think I'd pass out on the walk up to the stage I would go and discuss what prior training she's received and whether she's willing to let me give her private lessons. Feeling the penetrating stare of Will burning into my face, I look up to find him hovering in front of me.

"Are you okay?" the concern evident. I sigh.

"I'm exhausted." Rubbing my hand over my face I sink back into my seat. "I was planning on staying for the whole meeting today, but I don't think I can make it." Giving me a look of understanding, he places his hand on my shoulder.

"Go home. I can handle them for today." He stops then adds as an afterthought, "You should get some sleep too." I flash him a look.

"How can I sleep? I have calls to make." Snapping at him was rude but at this point, I could insult the Queen of England straight to her face and not care.

"We'll compromise. You go home and take a nap; I'll stop by after practice and wake you up. That way you get some rest and then I can help you with those calls." He suggests. Agreeing to his plan mostly to save myself time and energy, I stand up and make my way to the exit. As I'm leaving, I notice the shadow is still lurking in the corner. I'll deal with them next time; right now I need a bed.

* * *

Rachel's POV

Glee club had been amazing today. I got to perform for my mom, and she liked it! It was also nice to be able to talk to some kids my own age. Although the cheerleaders seem a little standoffish and Kurt kept complaining about my sense of style and how I looked like a four year old and a librarian at the same time. It's more interaction than I normally get though. A lot nicer too, since no one has tried to rearrange my face yet in an effort to assert their dominance. I was upset that my mom didn't stay after I sang, but she did look like she was starring in an episode of The Walking Dead. During class I had noticed that she was sleeping in the back, instead of watching the film. I wonder why she's so tired.

As the group began to disperse, I walked over to Noah.

"Your singing has gotten even better." he complemented when I got close enough.

"Thank you Noah." It's nice to hear positive reviews of my performances instead of the complaining I usually heard from the kids at the group homes.

"Did you want to hang out? We could go get a coffee and walk around that park on Baker Street we use to go to. It'd be nice to continue catching up on each other's lives." He suggests. I smile at memories of us playing together at that park. Since before we were born our parents had been close friends; they had even attended the same synagogue. Every Friday after school they would take us there to let out our energy before Shabbat began.

When we were younger Noah would always pick on everyone at the park. He was a little devil child back then and I suspect that hasn't really changed. The way he treats me also hasn't seemed to have changed. He'd aggravate me and push my buttons to the limit, but he was never cruel like many of the other kids were. In fact he could be rather sweet at times. I remember he would always protect me from the bullies. There was one time were he actually gave a kid a black eye for insulting my dress. Afterwards I pointed out to him that minutes earlier he had been insulting the same dress. His only response was that I was his Berry and no one else's and that only he gets to annoy me.

"As much as I would love to relive all those times you shoved bugs down my dress, I can't" I notice his face fall slightly.

"That's okay."

"It's just that 3M wants to find an apartment as soon as possible. She says we can't stay at the old house much longer before someone catches us." I pause, "How about Wednesday? We can talk then." His smile returns slightly.

"That sounds great. I'll see you around…" he leans in close next to my ear, "Berry." Smirking he struts off leaving me standing by myself on stage. Yep. Still a devil child.

"How was your day?" 3M startles me from behind.

"3M! You frightened me." I gasp clutching my chest dramatically.

"Sorry."

"It's okay." I pause to calm my racing heart. "My day was very good. I thought I was going to faint when I met her but I didn't. Although I may have come off as a little creepy with the way I was staring at her in class today."

"I am glad that you had a good day." She says with a smile.

"I am too. I hope I get more of a chance to talk to her tomorrow."

"I am sure you will." Pausing as a smirk grows on her face. "So, who was the Mohawk?"

"The Mohawk as you put it is Noah. He was my best friend when we were little." Her eyes narrow at my admission.

"So…he knows?" she asks.

"Yes. But I made him swear to tell no one, not even his mother."

"Are you sure he will not tell?" she pushes. I roll my eyes in response. Noah may be a lot of things, but a snitch isn't one of them.

"Positive." Her gaze scrutinizes me for several silent seconds.

"Is there a chance that anyone else will recognize you?" I never thought of that possibility; although most of the kids never paid me any attention unless they were torturing me.

"Most likely not. Noah was my only friend so I doubt anyone will even remember me." She stares at me for a couple more seconds before she breaks out into a smirk.

"So you two were _best_ friends, and now you've been reunited." Her eyebrow quirks up in a suggestive manner. I groan.

"Our relationship is not like that."

"Sure." She says.

"Really. We're just friends, and I don't have time for a boyfriend anyways. I've got enough on my plate as it is." I'm not having this conversation with her; especially with her wearing that stupid smirk of hers.

"Whatever you say Mausi." she glances at her watch. "We need to go. I have a meeting with an apartment manager in an hour."

"Can we grab something to eat on the way? I haven't eaten since lunch." I ask.

"Sure thing Mausi." she replies then hooks an arm around my shoulder to direct me out.

* * *

Next Day Shelby's POV

Slamming my phone down in frustration I throw the closest object I can find, which happens to be a pencil, at the backboard. _Real mature Shelby. Real mature. Act like a five year old._ At least none of my students were in here to see that. I sigh as the bell rings for fourth period. Thankfully I have more energy today since Will forced me to go to bed at a reasonable hour last night. I don't know how he puts up with me. I'm stubborn, difficult, and emotionally closed off; yet he sticks around and takes care of me anyways. He isn't obligated to either. We're technically not even dating. It's only causal at the moment. He wants more though. I know he does; he's asked me before. I should really just make it official and tell him yes, I will be your girlfriend. He's practically living at my house already and I know that no matter how much I try to ignore it, I need him almost as much as I need air.

The door opens and my students begin to funnel in, breaking me from my thoughts. I watch closely as Rachel enters, arm linked with Puck's. Being in such a fog yesterday I never really took the time to fully observe the girl. She looks too young to be in high school, but that just may be her genetics and not her actually age. I know that I didn't look like a high school student until at least my senior year. She's very short and petite with beautifully tanned skin. Her dark brown hair falls around her young face. She has an obviously Jewish nose and dark brown eyes. The more I look at her the more I feel a strange tingling in the center of my chest. There is something about this girl that is strikingly familiar.

I take roll quickly and start the film from where we left off, this time opting to stay upfront. Throughout the movie I watch her actions closely trying to figure out this odd feeling. About ten minutes in I see Puck slide her a note which she ignores. Five minutes more go by and he slides her another one, which she again ignores. After his fourth note she finally breaks down and reads them. I watch as she smiles and tries to contain a laugh. When I told her about Puck yesterday I thought that she would have heeded my warning and stayed away. Although with her response the player may be about to become the played. She doesn't seem like the type to use a guy though. Of course I don't really know her. Kids rarely show their true colors to their teachers.

Several minutes later I notice her looking at me. Our eyes lock in a heavy staring match and I decide right then and there that I need to figure this out. If I can get her to agree to private lessons it will help me to get to know her better.

When the bell rings I stop the film and turn to talk to Rachel, only to find the unholy trinity dragging her out the door. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

Rachel's POV

As flattered as I am that the cheerios seem to want to walk with me, I really wanted to talk to my mom. We don't have glee club today and I have barely said five things to her. How am I supposed to get to know her if I'm never around her?

"So Rachel, we can't help but notice that you and Puck seem to be quite cozy together." Quinn says as we make our way down the hall. Standing next to the three most popular girls in school is kind of making it hard to remain invisible.

"We're just friends." Why is it that everyone assumes that me and Noah are an item. First my mom, then 3M, and now them. "Even if we are more I don't see how it's any of your business." Turning abruptly they force me to a halt. They're eyes are shooting me daggers. Well, Quinn and Santana are. Brittany seems to be counting something with her fingers.

"Listen here Man Hands. It's our business if it ruins the little bit of respect and dignity that we have by some miracle managed to build for ourselves in this cow town." Quinn snaps.

"What is that supposed to mean?" What does my dating Noah, _which I'm not_, have to do with popularity status?

"What Q is trying to say is that we can't afford for the Neanderthal to knock you up." Santana butts in.

"I'm insulted by the insinuation that I'm easy enough to sleep with someone I met yesterday. And furthermore I have plans for my future. If I'm to have a Tony by the time I'm twenty-five then I can't afford to do anything that puts my future career in jeopardy. Having a baby would surely set back my plan by at least ten years. I would not be able to go to college and I'd have to get a good enough job to raise said child; which would take away valuable time from practicing and auditioning. No it simply wouldn't do." Finishing my rant, I notice they're all staring at me like I've grown two heads. I really need to learn to control what comes out of my mouth.

"Just be careful." Quinn says at last. All three in sync flip their ponytails over their shoulder and walk away. I can't decide if I should be excited that they might care or offended by their low faith in me and the fact that they only care about the club.

"What did they want?" Noah comes up behind me.

"Don't ask." I grab his arm and head off to my next class.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Finally I get to go home. I wonder if teenagers know that teachers love the end of the day just as much as they do. Heading toward the parking lot, I ruffle through my purse looking for my keys. I've just found them when I collide with someone sending sheet music flying. Bending down I begin to gather up the papers.

"I'm so sorry." We say at the same time. Looking up I find Rachel bent over as well helping. I glance at the music in my hands; they all seem to be show tunes. Rent, Wicked and Funny Girl are among the many titles that I can see. The girl really is in to Broadway. She looks up and an expression of horror crosses her face.

"Ms. Corcoran I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm sorry." The girl rambles. Putting my hand on her shoulder to quiet her, I hand her back the sheets.

"It's fine Rachel. I wasn't looking where I was going either." I try to ignore the tingling in my hand that the contact is making. Removing my hand I point to the music.

"Those are some great songs you've got there; real classics. I'm glad that there's someone in the club now other than Kurt that appreciates the Great White Way." I say to relax the obviously nervous teen. I earn a small smile in return. Progress!

"I was going to work on a couple of songs while I waited for my sister to finish her paperwork." She replies shyly.

"I could help you work on your vocals if you wanted." I offer before I've even processed my thoughts. _What are you doing? You're supposed to go home and call social services again. You need to find your daughter. _Rachel's face breaks into a huge grin.

"I'd love that. Thank you Ms. Corcoran." She answers enthusiastically. I might as well help Rachel. She's so excited and I know that I won't get anywhere with them today. I need to have a face to face meeting with a social work if I'm going to make any headway in finding my daughter.

"How about we go to the auditorium. It has better acoustics than the choir room." I say. She nods her head and we begin walking in that direction. We reach the auditorium quickly and climb up on stage.

"Can I see your music?" Nodding her head again she hands me the pages which I skim through quickly.

"Are you a Streisand fan?" Her reply is instant.

"What good Broadway fan isn't?" chuckling I set up the sheets on the piano.

"Well then you should know the words to this song by heart." I begin playing the first notes to MY Man, cueing her in. We run through it twice with me making notes at the end each time.

"That was very good Rachel, but I want you to try singing the second run of the chorus again; only this time hold your shoulders back a little more and push from your diaphragm not your throat. It will make hitting the high note easier which will make the song sound smoother."

"Ok." Cueing her in again she does as instructed. Well that's a first. I usually have to tell my students three or four times before they actually apply my suggestions.

_For whatever my man is _

_I am his _

_forever more _

_Oh my man I love him so _

_He'll never know _

_All my life is just despair _

_But I don't care_

"Good. Very good." I complement.

"Thank you." Bowing her head out of shyness as her check flush.

"You really have a gift. Did you ever take lessons?" Her face saddens a little at my question.

"When I was younger I took all kinds of classes. Singing, dancing, theater; anything to do with performing. I really enjoyed them too; but five or six of years ago my family fell on some hard times and I had to stop. After that I mostly trained myself." She reveals.

"You've done very well for training yourself." I pause to take in the young teen before me. "If you'd like I can give you lessons." She grins widely.

"I'd love that." Her face falls. "But I don't think we can afford t-" I cut her off before she can say more.

"I'd being coaching you for free. You have a wonderful voice that with some training could be extraordinary. And as part of the glee club I offer free lessons to any and all who want them." Her smile returns.

"I'd really like that. Thank you Ms. Corcoran." I give her a smile of my own.

"No problem. How does Fridays after school sound?"

"I don't know for sure but I think Fridays will work." She replies.

"Fridays will work for what?" A voice from the audience startles us both. I watch as a young woman, most likely in her early twenties, approaches the stage. She vaguely resembles the shadow I saw the day before.

"3M! You really need to walk louder or something. I can never tell when you've entered a room." Rachel scolds the woman, who laughs in return.

"Are you going to introduce me or will I have to do it myself?" she's reached the piano by now.

"Oh. Sorry. 3M this is Shelby Corcoran, and Ms. Corcoran, this is my sister, Maddalyn Maria Mauer. She prefers to go by 3M though." Her sister offers her hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Mausi here already speaks very highly of you." She says embarrassing Rachel.

"Is that so?" I glance over at her which only spreads the blush further. "We were just discussing setting up a time to do private vocal lessons. Rachel said that she use to take them, and that she would love to start again."

"And you would like these lessons to happen on Fridays?" 3M asks.

"If that is alright with you." I reply.

"That is fine with me. I just need to know how long they are and where they will take place."

"They usually last an hour or two. And we can either do them here at the school or the studio I have at my house."

"For now I believe that it would be easiest to have the lessons here." She turns to Rachel. "Come Mausi. I still need to get something to make for dinner."

"Ok. Thank you again Ms. Corcoran for the help." Rachel says. I send her a smile.

"It's no problem at all Rachel. And I'll see you tomorrow in class." I watch as the two sisters leave; Rachel more reluctantly than 3M.

Taking a sigh I grab my bag and head to my car. After spending a half-hour with her the peculiar sensation has only gotten stronger, and I still have no idea why it's even there. Oh, well. I'll figure it out later. Right now I need to get home to make my calls before Will shows up and forces me to stop obsessing.

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**Thanks so much for reading. I would like some feed back and suggestions. If you have any songs that you want featured or any pairings that you want, let me know. I can't guarantee that they will be used, but they may help me write the chapters to your guys' taste. Please review. - Shadow Dogma**


	12. Fears

**Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. It deals a lot with both Rachel's and Shelby's insecurities. Please tell me what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

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Wednesday Rachel's POV

The school day was rather uneventful today. I didn't get to speak with my mom very much; just a simple hello and how are you doing. The other teachers continued to annoy me with their lack of interest in education, and the cheerios glared at me whenever they saw me with Noah. They either really care about glee and sincerely believe that he will mess it up, or they're jealous that he likes me more than them. I'm leaning towards the latter.

I'm happy that we have glee practice tomorrow though, and then I have my private lesson the day after. I really want to know more about the woman who is my mother. Does she have any other children? Is she dating anyone? I'm assuming that she's not married since there is no ring present on her finger. Can she cook? Does she like me? Does she want me? Am I good enough for her? So far she has been very kind and considerate of me, but that doesn't mean that she wants to raise a teenager. Especially one with so much baggage. She also gave me away once before. What will stop her from doing it again? But I want her to want me so badly. I want her to tell me that I'm perfect, that she loves me and will never leave me. I want her to wrap me up in a big warm mom hug. I want to know what that feels like. Sometimes I want to walk right up to her, grab her by her shoulders, and just scream in her face, "I'm Rachel Berry! Your daughter. Do you want me or not?!"

I sigh. That's not going to happen; not only would it be rude to give her such a shock, I'm pretty sure that would make her not want me. I grab my things from my locker and go to close it when it's slammed shut for me. Turning I expect to find the Unholy Trinity shooting me daggers again. Instead I find Kurt, Tina, Artie, and Mercedes standing there with Kurt being the closest. He must have been the one to close my locker.

"Hi." I greet shyly. We may be in the same club, but I still don't know them very well. I only just got everyone's names down. Kurt grabs my arm and starts walking to the school's exit, his posse following.

"Barbra, we have decided that you will be our friend." That was unexpected.

"Okay?" I answer unsurely.

"We were skeptical of you at first when we saw you hanging around Puckerman so much. We were afraid that we were going to be dealing with another one of Sue Sylvester's pawns that's sole purpose in life is to torment us." Twirling to face me, "But it seems that the cheerios have rejected you despite your close relationship with one of the most popular guys in school."

"Um…Thank you?" How am I supposed to respond to that?

"You're welcome." He starts off towards the doors again.

"Shouldn't we tell her about the ESK?" Mercedes pipes out grabbing my other arm.

"ESK? What's that?" I ask.

Artie now rolling in front of us answers. "Emergency Slushy Kit."

"Emergency Slushy Kit?" What in the world?

"It's for when we get a slushy facial." Artie responds matter-of-factly.

"Okay. I know that you're trying to help, but you're just confusing me here."

"The popular people here like to enforce their status by throwing slushies into the faces of those they deem "nerds" or "geeks"." Mercedes elaborates.

"That's horrible! Why has no one reported it to the principal?" That is assault, criminal charges could be brought up on those students. Kurt lets out a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, believe me. We all use to report it, but nothing gets done. We've given up on trying to stop them and started focusing on how to avoid them and how to cope with them. That's why you need to bring at least two extra sets of clothing, or as we like to call it, an ESK. We'll teach you how to get the dye out of your clothes the first time it happens." Great. I get out of the system away from abuse only to end up in a high school that is rampant with bullying. At least they use food products to assault you and not their fists.

"Oh. So that means that the members of the glee club are considered nerds." I ask for clarification.

"We're below the nerds. The jocks and the cheerleaders live in the penthouse, the preps live on the regular floors, the people who play dunces and dragons live in basement. And us, the gleeks. We live below the subbasement in the sewers." Artie answers.

"Look we have to go, but here are our numbers. If you have any questions, or you get slushied and don't know what to do just give one of us a call or send a text." Kurt says handing me a piece of paper.

"Thank you. It's nice to know that I have some friends here. It always sucks being the new girl."

"Us gleeks need to stick together. We'll see you tomorrow." We say our goodbyes and they leave. I look down at the numbers. I finally have friends. Wait. How am I supposed to text them if I don't have a cell phone? Would it be too much to ask 3M for one? She's already done so much for me I really don't want to inconvenience her any more. Glancing up I spot Noah walking toward me from the gym exit. I wonder how much he knows about my mom.

* * *

Will's POV

Walking into the choir room I notice Shelby standing by the sheet music with several books open. She still looks drained, but at least she doesn't look like she's about to drop over dead. These past couple of weeks have been so hard on her. I wish there was something more that I could do to help her. She looks up at the sound of my steps.

"Hey. You headed out?" She asks shuffling the pages together and returning them to their notebook.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have Chinese for dinner. Something easy while we're on the phone trying to find Rachel." I answer.

"Inviting yourself over again I see." She retorts with a smile.

"I didn't think I needed an invitation since I have a key now." I jest back. It's good to see her returning to her normal self. She laughs.

"Dinner would be great, but I was thinking Breadstix and a movie." I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Don't you have to call Stan the social worker back?" I respond in confusion. She shakes her head no.

"I have a face to face meeting with him in a week. I should be able to get somewhere with him then. Heavens knows that I'm not getting anywhere over the phone." She replies.

"Oh. Well at least this is progress." Sighing she takes a seat on the piano bench with her head bowed.

"Its progress, but I still have a long way to go before I meet her. First I have to convince them that I may in fact be her mother, then they will most likely want to run a DNA test to confirm, which could take weeks or months." She looks up at me and the pain in her eyes nearly breaks my heart. "And even after I've found her and she's living with me it won't be easy. I have no idea how to raise a child. Teach them and coach them yes, but raise one no. She's also been in the system for so long that I don't know what kind of trauma she might have suffered and what that has done to her. Is she a criminal? Is she violent and angry? Is she a drug addict? What if she doesn't like me or blames me? I just… I want to find her so bad but I'm afraid of what I'll find."

Taking her into my arms I kiss the top of her head. "You don't know that any of those things are true, and if they are you're not alone. I'll be there helping you through the entire time. And you have time before you need to start worrying about that. Okay? You need to relax so you don't look deranged and unstable when you meet Stan." I joke hoping to bring her out of her funk. Earning a punch to shoulder hurt but was so worth it when she lifts her head and I find a smile adorning her beautiful face. Unable to help myself I angle our faces to kiss her passionately.

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Rachel's POV

Noah and I are wandering along the trail through the park sipping our coffees. He's been telling me all about the misadventures of his adolescent years, about his adorable little sister, and about his sweetheart of a mother. We've come to a lull in conversation though and I can't help it any longer so I just come out and ask.

"Can you tell me about my mother?"

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't know… just everything that you know." I reply.

"Okay. Um…" He steers us to a bench to sit down. "Well. She's a lot like you actually. Loves Broadway. Apparently she tried to be on Broadway when she was younger, but never made it. I kind of get the feeling that it was more because she gave up than because she didn't have the talent. You haven't heard her sing yet, but she's amazing. She's driven and stubborn. Always gets her way; a lot like someone else I know." He elbows my side with a smirk. "She doesn't put up with any of our crap unlike Mr. Shue. She's one of those teachers that you hate because they're strict and expect you to actually do your homework, but then you love because they truly care about you, your wellbeing and your future."

"She sounds wonderful. Noah…" I hesitate.

"What?"

"Does…does she have any other kids?" I ask quietly.

"Not unless she was a surrogate more than once."

"Does she have a boyfriend? I'm a little afraid that if she does that he won't want me, and then she'll pick him over me." I reveal.

"I don't think that she would pick some schmuck over her own flesh and blood, Rachel. As for a boyfriend, that depends on who you ask." I send him a look of confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to ask her then she'd tell you no. But I know for a fact that she's at least involved in a physical sense with someone." He explains.

"And how would you know that?" I question.

"Because as I was leaving school today I walked past the choir room and saw her and Mr. Shue making out."

"Eww." I let out.

"I know. Makes me wonder what else they've done in there." I punch his arm for the crude comment.

"So Mr. Shue huh." I say after a minute of silence.

"Yeah. I don't think you'll have to worry about him not wanting you. I know that before him and his ex-wife broke up they were trying for a baby."

"That's a little different. He wants a baby. His own baby. Not someone else's teenage daughter." I retort.

"Yes. But you're Shelby's daughter, and whether or not she wants something serious I know he does. Half of glee practice is spent with him checking her out and fawning over her talent. That man is wrapped around her finger. He would probably jump off a cliff for her if she asked."

We sit for several minutes stewing over the conversation. Out of the corner of my eye I see Noah glance at his watch.

"I should walk you home. It's getting late." He says.

Standing up we link arms and head toward the new apartment 3M and I live in now.

Walking in the door my nose is assault by a mouthwatering smell. I move toward the kitchen and find 3M making dinner singing along to a Steppenwolf CD.

"Oh. Hello Mausi." She turns down the speakers. "How was your stroll with Noah?"

"It was good. We talked a lot about his family. I wish that I could visit his mom. She was the only female role model I had when I was growing up. I miss her terribly." I answer sitting down at the table. How 3M managed to completely furnish our apartment in the short amount of time we've been here I have no idea.

"The sooner you tell your mother who you are, the sooner you can visit Mrs. Puckerman." 3M levels at me.

"I'm not ready to tell her. I know hardly anything about her yet." I respond.

"Just do not wait too long to tell her the truth. The longer you lie the harder it is to clean up."

"I know I'm just afraid of her rejection." I say.

"When I met her she did not seem like the type to leave an orphan out on the streets, much less her own daughter." She counters then pivots to stir the sauce in the pan on the stove. Sighing I glare at her back. Ignoring the fact that she's probably right, like always, I decide to get the subject off of telling her the truth.

"I did learn something about her from Noah though." She turns back around.

"Oh. And what was that?" She inquires.

"She's involved with Mr. Shue."

"Mr. Shue? As in the Spanish teacher with the really curly hair?"

"Yep. That's him." I answer.

"Looks like you went to find one parent and instead you found two." She says.

"That is if he wants me." I respond deflated. She laughs.

"Mausi. If what I gathered in the few times I have interacted with your mother is true, and I am a great judge of character mind you, then it will not matter what he wants. Your mother does not lose. She gets what she wants, when she wants. He may not know it yet, but he is about to become a dad."

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Shelby's POV

Dinner had been relaxing and peaceful. We had avoid the topic of my daughter in favor of others safer topics like the New Directions and Nationals. We both agreed that the solo should go to Rachel. Despite her limited training she is no doubt the strongest singer we have. Right now we have a slim chance of beating V.A., but with some coaching I might be able to make us a legitimate threat. At the moment Will and I are curled up on the couch watching _Funny Lady_, the sequel to _Funny_ _Girl_. Fanny has just gotten on the airplane when I pause the movie. My future relationship with my daughter is not the only relationship that has been on my mind lately. This conversation needs to happen, and it needs to happen before I find my daughter, not after.

"Will, we need to talk." I say.

"About what?" If it weren't for the seriousness of the coming conversation I would have laughed at the terrified expression on his face.

"Our relationship." Taking a deep breath I turn to look at him directly. "I know that you want more out of it, that you want things to move forward; and I want that too." He smiles and goes to interrupt me, but I stop him with a raised hand. "But there are some things that I need to set straight before we make this official. Okay?" He nods his head for me to continue. "I know that you said early that you would be there for me once I've found Rachel, but I need to know in what way. She is my daughter and she will always come first. If you and I are to have a relationship then you are going to have to step up and be willing to fulfill the roll of father. If you can't do that then this needs to end now." He takes my hands into one of his, while the other reaches up to cup my face.

"Shelby, I would be honored to help you raise Rachel as her father." He replies. Letting my tears fall I wrap myself up in his arms and love, thanking God that I won't be losing him once I gain my daughter.

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**Thank you so much foe reading. Please review. - Shadow Dogma**


	13. Revenge is Best Served Cold

**Here is the next chapter I hope you guys like it. Please tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

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Rachel's POV

Striding confidently down the hallway I soon find myself face to face with Quinn. She's flanked on either side by Brittany and Santana. As usual Quinn and Santana are glowering while Brittany just seems to be confused.

"I saw you being all cozy with Puckerman at the park yesterday." Santana accuses, while Quinn invades my personal space.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him." The blonde snaps. I roll my eyes and move around them heading toward first period. I'm getting really annoyed by everyone thinking we're a couple. He's practically my brother. That would just be gross.

"Actually you told me not to get knocked up and humiliate the glee club. You never said anything about me not having conversations with him as a friend." I remark over my shoulder, which they clearly didn't appreciate since I find my body slammed up against a locker. Quinn's arm laid across my chest restrains me from attempting to extricate myself.

"Listen here RuPaul. I own this school. Never ever turn your back to me when I'm speaking to you." Her arm digs in. "He will be mine and I will not hesitate to remove you from the equation if you get in my way." She grounds out. Pushing forcefully I shove her away. I fix my clothes before sending her a glare. She may intimidate other students but I have suffered far worse than she could ever do at the hands of juvenile delinquents and abusive foster parents for most of my life. Some prissy self-absorbed cheerleader does not frighten me.

"I already told you before. I'm not dating Noah, nor am I ever going to. He is a wonderful friend but he would be a terrible boyfriend. If you want him you can have him. I really don't care. Take him." Turning I march away again but turn around to add one final thought.

"And if you're worried about him knocking anyone up, I'd be most concerned with him getting you pregnant. Do you really think that being the president of the celibacy club is fooling anyone?" Raising my left eyebrow for good measure I stock off down the hall, surprised when they don't follow to exact their vengeance for that last comment. I know that I'll pay for that eventually though, but the looks on their faces was so worth it. I make ten steps before I realize why they refrained from reacting. My mom is standing right in the middle of the hall obviously having seen at least part of the altercation. She sends the Cheerios a look that clearly states that they will be discussing their behavior later. As they scurry off I can't help but think that my punishment will be worse now that they'll be getting in trouble. She turns to me and her expression softens to one of concern and slight amusement.

"I'm impressed that you stood up for yourself against Quinn. I was about to intervene when you handled it, but don't think that they won't be reprimanded for their actions." My stomach flutters to hear that I impressed my mom. We start walking together toward the west wing.

"The bullying at this school has gone on for far too long. I've been trying my best to stop it but it's difficult when you're the only teacher that makes an honest attempt. Even Mr. Shuester is rather lax in giving out punishments. McKinley is quite a contrast to my pervious school Carmel. They had a zero tolerance policy there and here it's almost encouraged." She continues. I nod my head in agreement remembering the conversation I had with Kurt, Artie, Mercedes, and Tina yesterday.

"Thank you. But I'm afraid that their revenge will only be worse if they get in trouble." She halts halfway through my comment and turns to me with a serious expression.

"They need to learn that it's not ok to bully people, especially a teammate. And students should feel comfortable and safe enough to go to any teacher if they experience issues and be confident that it will be handled. I will be punishing them." She puts a firm but comforting hand on my shoulder. A strong wave of emotions wash over me at the contact, that I just barely mange to keep off my face.

"If they harass you again, please do not hesitate to tell me. I will do all that I can to stop them, but I can only do so much when I'm not informed about what's happening." Nodding I give her a small smile, which she returns.

"Thank you Ms. Corcoran." I say still not entirely sure how to act around her. She removes her hand and I instantly feel colder.

"It's really no problem Rachel. I'll see you in fourth period. Have a wonderful day." She says then walks into her classroom.

Watching her retreating form, I find myself having mixed feelings over our conversation. On one hand I'm glad that she really seems to take an interest in her student's wellbeing, which proves to me that she's a good person. On the other I really don't want to deal with whatever humiliation the cheerios are going to subject me to in retaliation. I'm not afraid, more annoyed. I don't want to deal with petty high school drama right now. I have bigger more important things to figure out and work through; like uncovering whether or not my mom actually wants me. Sighing I head down the hall to my math class.

My first three periods fly by quickly. Before I know it the bell for lunch is ringing. Packing up my supplies I move out to the hall to meet up with Noah. He sends me a smile as I come into view.

"Hey. Do you mind taking my bag to the table? I'm going to put my books in my locker and I don't want to carry it around." I ask.

"Sure. Did you want me to grab you a salad before they're all gone?" He offers taking my backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Yeah. Thanks, I'll be there in a minute." I reply.

"Take your time. I can sext the blonde that met at the mall while I'm waiting." He calls out, already headed to the lunch room. I roll my eyes.

"You're disgusting." I yell back in response.

I reach my locker quickly and stack my books neatly. As I turn around a wall of sticky purple ice smashes into my face and runs down my front. Standing in shock with my eyes burning I barely make out four football players laughing and high fiving with empty slushies in their hands.

"Maybe if we threw a couple more her nose would shrink." One insults me.

"That or her face will swell up to match it." Another adds as the walk off.

Frozen like my face I stay motionless for several long seconds with my mouth hanging open in astonishment. The cold sensation of the ice dripping into my undergarments drags me back to reality and the stinging in my eyes comes full force. Closing my eyes tightly I stumble my way toward where I think the bathrooms are. Flinging open the door I clamber over to the sink and frantically begin washing the offending substance from my eyes. I hear a toilet flush, but ignore it as I feel my anger rising. Glancing up to take in my appearance I find Tina washing her hands giving me a sympathetic look.

"Do you need some help?" She offers kindly. I nod my head yes. She grabs some paper towels, wets them and starts helping me clean off my face.

"How do you guys deal with the stinging in the eyes?" I ask. Shrugging slightly she looks down at my clothes.

"You get use to it over time. Do you have any extra clothes in your locker that I could grab for you?"

"No. I was going to bring some tomorrow. I didn't think that they would strike today. My fault for underestimating the enemy." I answer.

"You can borrow some of mine if you want. But I only have a skirt. I had to use my shirt yesterday." She replies. I give her a grateful smile and begin to rinse my hair out.

"Thanks. I'm sure that 3M has a sweatshirt I can use. I'll go get it when I'm done with my hair." She smiles and heads out to grab her skirt. Eyeing my appearance I begin to wonder how 3M is going to react to this turn of events.

Tina returns in no time handing me a black and purple lace skirt. Sighing internally at the thought of dressing in the gothic garb, I take the offered clothing. Not that it looks bad on her, but it's really not my style. I change into it nonetheless and thank Tina again before heading to the nurse's office. Arriving there I knock cautiously and enter. 3M does a double take as she observes my new apparel.

"What happened?" She questions.

"A couple of football players thought it would be fun to dump slushies on me." I answer shifting from foot to foot.

"What?" She exclaims with disbelief.

"Yeah. Apparently this happens all the time. Um… I was wondering if I could borrow a sweatshirt or something." I say. She rises and grabs a plaid shirt from a nearby chair and gives it to me.

"You can change in the bathroom there." She says pointing to a door on the right. Going in I discard my stained sweater and pull on the shirt 3M let me use. It smells like vanilla and sawdust. Why it smells like sawdust I have no idea. She's an enigma that I'm beginning to doubt I'll ever solve. Walking back into the room I toss my shirt behind her desk and turn to talk to her.

"Thanks fo-" I stop realizing that I'm alone. Where did she go? The bell for fourth period rings causing me to jump. Great now I have to go face my mother looking like a fool.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Sighing I roll my head from side to side in an effort to release the tension that's been increasing steadily since I woke up. My day has been terrible from the beginning. First my coffee maker broke. A Shelby without coffee is never a good thing; and when I went to get my coffee from the Lima Bean the barista messed up my order. Then I get to school and find three members of the club harassing Rachel. They were none too happy when I gave them a week's worth of detention for their bullying, and then when I added another week for their attitude I thought Santana was going to go all hulk on me and start shouting out threats in Spanish assuming that I don't know what she's saying, when in fact I know more Spanish than Will. After that it seemed like all my classes had reverted back to kindergarten having forgotten even the most basic of grammar principles. Hearing a knock on my door I call out that it's open, expecting to see Will. When Puck enters the room I send him a look of confusion.

"Yes, Puck?" I ask.

"Hey Coach C. I was just wondering if you've seen Rachel. We were supposed to eat lunch together but she never showed up." He says.

"No I haven't seen her since this morning." I answer. He harrumphs with furrowed eyebrows and stocks over to his seat, carrying two backpacks. One is black and the other is light pink. I'm assuming that the pink one is Rachel's.

"Have you checked the library for her?" I supply. I know that Puck can be lazy sometimes, so he may not have searched that hard.

"Yeah. I also checked the choir room and the auditorium. I don't know where she went." He says. I'm about to reply when the door is yanked open and the girl in question makes her appearance wearing a rather odd outfit. Puck bursts out laughing. She shoots him a glare.

"This is not funny Noah." She says.

"Yeah it is. You look like a vampire that decided to try the Paul Bunion look, and it didn't go too well." He states.

"I hate you." She utters. Puck just smirks.

"You love me, and you know it." She rolls her eyes and marches over to her backpack to pull out a mirror in an attempt to fix the disaster of an outfit.

"What happened Rachel?" I ask. I have a good guess based on the odd clothing that she's wearing now that she wasn't wearing earlier, and the irritated red eyes. She turns to me and her checks flush with obvious embarrassment. She flounders for a second on what to say. I don't know what it is but I seem to always make the articulate young girl nervous and flustered. It's not an authority thing either. I've seen her interact normally with other teachers just fine. I'm not that intimidating am I? I thought that I've been rather kind and welcoming to her so far.

"I...Um…well. I was slushied on my way to lunch and I didn't have a change of clothes. I had to borrow a skirt from Tina and a shirt from my sister." She finally informs. I sigh. Apparently my little talk with those three this morning didn't do anything at all.

"Did you see who assaulted you?" She shakes her head no.

"I didn't notice them until after I'd already been hit. After that I couldn't see very well. All I know is that it was four football players." She says looking down. My frustration builds. Quinn may be cruel, but she's not stupid, getting others to do her dirty work.

"I'll see what I can do. Please come to me if it happens again." I say.

"I will." She promises as people start to come in. I watch as the cheerios snicker at her whispering insults. They will pay for this. Rachel is a sweet girl that doesn't deserve that kind of treatment.

Numerous times throughout my lesson I had to tell everyone to be quiet. They all seem to be unable to focus too caught up making snide comments and insults about Rachel. She takes them all in stride, not letting any of them see the effect it's having on her. I can tell though that the remarks do bother her. She hides it well, but I can see it in her eyes. I feel bad for the girl. She doesn't have any friends other than Puck. It must be hard to move away from home to such a hostile school. At least Puck was able to get the students near him to shut up with various threats. He may have made fun of her when he first saw her, but apparently he reserved that right for himself only. Dismissing class early I wait for Rachel to come near my desk.

"Rachel." I call her attention. She turns to Puck and tells him to go ahead.

"Yes?" She asks nervously.

"I just wanted to make sure that you're okay." I say with concern. She nods her head.

"I'm fine. I've dealt with a lot worse. It's more annoying than anything." She tells me. What's worse than being slushied and forced to wander around your brand new school in an extremely embarrassing outfit? Do I even want to know?

"It's okay to feel upset by what's happening." I tell her.

"Really. I'm fine." She reassures me. I still don't fully believe her.

"Just know that I'm here in you ever want to talk. Okay?" I say. She nods her head.

"I'll see you at glee." I say goodbye.

"Bye. And thank you for your concern." She replies then leaves. As I watch her back, I feel that strange sensation again. What is it about Rachel Mauer that causes this effect on me?

Walking into the choir room after school I brace myself for the lecture that I'm about to give. Looking around I notice Puck is the only one not present. That's fine. He's not the one I want to direct this at.

"Okay everyone. I want to wor-" I interrupt Will before he can assign one of his lessons about life and growth.

"If I may, I have something to say before we start this meeting." He nods his permission, but his confusion is evident. Usually we discuss these things beforehand. He takes a seat off to the side giving me full control. I stare at all of them with the most intimidating glare I can muster until they're all squirming in their seats.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" I bellow causing them all to jump four feet. "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" I pause letting that sink in. I need them to fear for their lives if I'm going to get my point across. Tossing the papers in my hands sharply onto the piano, I cross my arms conveying my disappointment. When they all look like they're about to wet themselves I continue. "Do you even know the meaning of the words team, unity, respect?" I hear some murmurings. "NO! You don't! All I've heard all year is 'Me this.' And 'Me that.' You bicker and fight and put each other down. AND I'M SICK OF IT! You are supposed to be a TEAM. Each person is a part of the greater machine making it work and move as ONE. One UNIT; not separate machines coexisting." I pause. "I'm not forcing you to become best friends. BUT, I want you to RESPECT each other. If you guys stopped for even one minute, and put yourselves into the other person's shoes then maybe you would realize just HOW much you've misjudged them. Or how much you don't KNOW about that person." Staring them down again I watch them all visibly gulp. _Good. _

"I was sorely disappointed by the actions and words that I saw and heard today. I've let things slide for too long. After today if I see or hear or find out about ANYTHING that you've done to ANYONE on this team or in this school, there will be SERIOUS consequences. Are we clear?" I hear only a few murmured responses. "I said, ARE WE CLEAR!?"

"Yes Ms. Corcoran." They repeat louder.

"Good. Now," I grab the papers off the piano and start handing them out. "I have decided that the next assignment will be Broadway duets," I pause sending off a glare making sure no one objects. "…that you will be singing with a person in this club that you don't get along with. I have already assigned partners. This will be a competition, with myself choosing the winners and treating them to a dinner at Breadstix. I hope that by the end of this you all will have learned to respect each other." I finish and sit down on the piano bench daring them to protest their partners.

"Okay. Um…how abo-" Will's interrupted again as Puck finally shows up.

"You're late." I say without looking at him, still staring Quinn down.

"I have a good reason to be." He answers.

"And what would that be?" Will asks.

"I went to the nurse's office during sixth period because I didn't want to take a math test." He starts.

"Puck." Will warns.

"But when I got there the nurse wasn't there. So I was bored and decided to find her and I found out some startling news." He continues ignoring Will.

"And what news would that be?" I ask still not looking away.

"Mr. Figgins got fired." He reveals. A collective gasp sounds throughout the room and my head snaps to him.

"Why?"

"The new nurse heard about all the bullying problems that McKinley's been having and how the administration has done nothing to stop. So she called Arne Duncan, whoever that guy is, and complained. He had Figgins removed immediately and has put him and a number of teachers under investigation." He explained further. How in the world does 3M know the U.S. Secretary of Education?

"Wait if Mr. Figgins is gone than who is running the school now?" Tina asks.

"Please tell me they didn't put Coach Sylvester in charge again?" Artie pleads.

"They put Ms. Pillsbury in charge until the end of the investigation." Puck answers.

"Do you know which teachers are going to be under investigation?" Will asks.

"I only heard a few names before I had to duck away so I wouldn't be caught. I didn't hear either of your guys' names but they might have said them later." Sighing I drop my head into my hands. I really don't know how much more stress I can handle.

"Everyone go home. We'll see you all tomorrow." Will says then grabs Puck's arm and heads off to the office in search of possible information. How am I supposed to convince Social Services that I'm fit to take care of my daughter if I get fired? I'd have no income to support us. I begin breathing exercises in an attempt to calm myself. Crying won't do me any good right now. I jump at the sound of a voice, having thought that everyone had left.

"Ms. Corcoran?" Rachel asks hesitantly. I raise my head to look at her.

"Yes Rachel?"

"I just wanted to say that you have nothing to worry about. You've been trying to stop bullying since you got here. I'm sure there's documentation of that somewhere. And, if…if there isn't I'll tell them all about how much you've been trying to help me. I won't let them fire you." She says rather unsure of herself. I smile at her.

"Thank you Rachel." I respond.

"You welcome." She pauses, looking like she's considering saying something else, but before she can make up her mind 3M comes into the room.

"Come on Mausi. It is time to go home." She says moving to stand next to her sister. Rachel's face contorts into one of anger and she throws her glare at the young woman.

"You got the principal fired." 3M rolls her eyes.

"That man needed to be fired a long time ago." She states.

"What about all the teachers that are going to be let go." I notice that her eyes shift toward me as she says this. Moving my own gaze to 3M I see she clearly got what the young girl was implying. She lets out a laugh.

"Mausi. I can guarantee that only a small hand full of teachers will actually be fired. Most, if they're even disciplined, will just be suspended. And those that are let go deserve it for how they have dealt with the harassment." She tells her. Then glances over in my direction. "You are in the clear Ms. Corcoran. Ms. Pillsbury has already vouched for you as a capable and dedicated educator. It also helped that this is your first year here and your reputation from Carmel proceeds itself." I give her a grateful smile. But my thoughts soon turn to Will.

"What about Mr. Shuester?" I ask.

"Emma told them that he was also a good teacher but they were a little more reluctant to except her word on that one. I would not worry about it though. By tomorrow I suspect that he will be cleared. There are other much worse teacher here that they are more keen on handling." Sliding her gaze back to Rachel she grabs her backpack. "Come on. You can yell at me later at home. First we need to get you out of that horrid outfit." As Rachel looks down at her clothes it's obvious that she had temporarily forgotten about that issue. Sighing she bids me farewell again and stocks out of the room. 3M shakes her head in amusement.

"I'm glad that someone is finally doing something. Thank you." I tell her. She gives me an unreadable look and tilts her head to the side to study me. After a minute or so she shrugs her shoulders.

"I should not be thanked for simply doing what is right. Protecting the students' safety and wellbeing is first and foremost in our duties as educators." She remarks, then says goodbye as well. Just like her sister 3M gives me a strange feeling. Only this one I don't like. I get an unsettling feeling in my gut, almost like she's hiding something. And something big at that.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review. - Shadow Dogma**


	14. New Friends and Old Suspicions

**I'm so sorry for the lateness of this post. I've been dealing with some serious health issues and I've just been too exhausted to write. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Friday Morning Puck's POV

Now that Ms. Pillsbury is the principal I wonder how things are gonna be. She's kind of a fruitcake. We'll probably be going home with weekly pamphlets about whatever cockamamie "issues" that we're supposed to be going through as "confused hormonal teenagers that don't know who we are." It's great that the bullying will probably stop now; cause like the glee club could really use that, but now I'll actually have to go to class. Even worse. Now I'll actually have to pay attention. How am I supposed to keep up with sports, glee club _and _schoolwork while still getting my Puckerone on? Groaning I bang my head into my locker.

"I'd be careful if I were you. You can't really afford to lose any of the few brain cells that you do have." A voice startles me from my thoughts. Rolling my head slowly across the lockers I look at Quinn. She is one fine lady. Great butt, blonde, kissable lips. Her boobs aren't as big as Santana's, but they're a decent size. And man! That cheerios' uniform emphasizes all the right places. Oh, wait what was she saying?

"Are you even listening to me?" She growls. Sighing I turn to face her fully.

"Dude. It's like seven in the morning. I can't even see straight and you expect me to have a full blown conversation with you." She sends me a deadly glare.

"Why are you so tired? Did Yentl keep you up all night?" She snaps mockingly. Shaking my head I begin to walk away.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, we're not dating. Sure Rachel's Jewish and hot in a kinda sneaky nerdy way, but I'm just not into her like that." Spinning to look at her directly I continue, "And why don't you lay off her? She hasn't done anything to you and all you've been is a huge jerk to her. You have no idea the things that she's had to endure in her life. The things that she's still going through." I pause to stare her down. "Just show some respect. Okay?" I say before wandering to first period.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Coffee. Is there such a thing as a coffee addiction? If there is then I'm definitely an addict. I could never make it through a day without at least two cups. I sincerely believe that I suffer from withdrawals when I'm deprived. Headaches, fatigue, dizziness, angry outbursts. Taking a huge gulp of the coffee from the teacher's lounge I cringe at the abysmal flavor. The school's coffee may taste dreadful, but there was no way that I was going to stand in line for thirty minutes waiting for my order this morning. I really need to go shopping tonight for a new coffee maker. I wonder how much a Keurig costs?

Glancing up I see 3M sitting by herself skimming through a newspaper. Something still rubs me the wrong way when it comes to her. She's courteous and cordial during conversations, but she's never willing to be the person to start one. She also rarely talks about her personal life. In fact, I've only ever heard her speak of Rachel. Never herself. Never their parents. Never her past. Only Rachel. Her strange behavior makes me wonder what she's hiding. Making up my mind, I stride over and take a seat.

"Good morning. How was your evening?" I greet friendly. She looks up from her paper and smiles.

"Good morning to you as well." She sets her paper aside. "My evening was…loud. I received a fair amount of scolding from Rachel last night, before I was finally able to distract her with a Streisand marathon." I find myself smiling at that.

"She's quite the firecracker, isn't she."

"By nature Rachel is fiercely loyal to those that she cares for. She was most angry over the possibility that you and Mr. Shuester would lose your jobs. Her concern was not direct toward any of the other teachers here." Observing me carefully she takes a sip of her coffee. "She thinks very highly of you as a coach, as an educator, and as a person." I shift uncomfortably in my seat. For some reason that statement feels odd coming from her. "She was quite excited this morning about your planned lesson after school." I smile widely at the thought of working with the talented young girl.

"I'm glad to hear that. I try my hardest to be a good role model for these kids." Before she can respond her phone buzzes with an incoming call.

"Excuse me." She says retrieving the phone. Glancing down at the screen to identify the caller she stands and leaves presumably to have the conversation in private. Sighing I watch her retreating form. Again our discussion revolved solely around Rachel.

"Hey Cockroach. I got you something." Rolling my eyes I turn to Sue as she takes 3M vacated seat.

"Oh? And what would that be?" She gives me a smirk then slides a packet of dog treats and a squirt bottle across the table. Hesitantly I pick up the offered gift. "Um…thank you? I think." She waves her hand in a gesture of indifference.

"Oh, don't thank me. I'm just trying to help you keep your pet in line. She's such a cute thing, but she has a bit of an attitude problem. I thought that you could try using some positive and negative association behavioral training on her."

"Um. I don't own a dog." I reply in confusion.

"Yes you do." She points behind me. "See here comes Wilma right now." Hopping up abruptly she exits the lounge. "Wilma", actually Will, approaches and places a hand on my back taking Sue's seat. That is one popular chair today.

"What did Sue want?" He asks. I sigh and hand him the treats and bottle.

"She was just insulting you as usual." He stares at the items in his hands.

"What do Beggin' Strips and a spray bottle have to do with me?"

"She called you my pet. To be specific, my female dog." I respond.

"What?!" He screeches moving to stand. Grabbing his hand I rub my thumb over the top to relax him.

"Ignore her. Her statements mean nothing. She's just trying to get a rise out of you. If you react it gives her ammo against the club. You also don't want to go around making any scenes with the investigators searching for people to fire." Grasping my hand tightly he breathes deeply to calm himself.

"You're right. I can't keep letting her comments get to me. I just get annoyed sometimes, and with the bombshell that was dropped on the school yesterday I can't help it that I'm a little stressed and on edge." He says.

"You have nothing to worry about. You're a good teacher, a great man, and you really care about these students. The investigators will surely see that. I mean, all they have to do is take a look at the glee club to know that you don't favor bullying. Those kids are like target number one." I reassure him. Flashing me a grateful smile he clasps my hands between both of his.

"You always know what to say to get me out of one of my moods. I'm the luckiest guy on the planet to have you in my life." He squeezes my hands before he stands, gives me a kiss on the cheek and leaves for his first period of the day. Shaking my head in disagreement I too rise and start toward my classroom. Will is not the luckiest guy on the planet. I'm the luckiest girl. He's sweet, considerate, doting, and talented. He's every woman's fantasy. Prince charming. I'm just a mess that has an obsession with all things Streisand and Broadway. I gave up my own daughter to follow a stupid dream that I completely failed at. I then wasted years working with a bunch of ungrateful snot nosed teenagers from six in the morning to twelve at night all for the gain of four trophies. Four lousy trophies is all that I have to my name. I wonder what Rachel will think of that when we finally meet.

* * *

Rachel's POV

I slam my locker closed and head toward math. Why did I have to have math first period? It's my worst subject. At least I have my vocal lesson today after school. I'm really excited to see what I'll be learning. It's been years since my last formal vocal lesson, and I know that there is so much that I can learn from my mom. I hope that I can persuade her into singing something for me. I've only heard her sing scales so far and I'm dying to hear her belt out a Broadway classic. Maybe I'll even be able to convince her to sing something with me. Glancing up I notice Quinn standing in my path just in time to weave out of the way.

"Quinn! I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention." I apologize to the blonde cheerleader. Today I'm in no mood to have a face off. All I want to do is endure through my school day, so that I can spend some quality time with my mother. And I really don't want to have to do that covered in dye and sugar.

"Whatever. Look, as much as I don't want to do the assignment for glee, I really, really don't want to piss Ms. Corcoran off any more than she already is. So we will be meeting tomorrow at my house to work on it." She says.

"Oh. Um…okay." I stutter out. She thrusts a small piece of paper into my hands.

"Here's my address. Two o'clock work for you?"

"Yeah. Um…that'll work." We stand awkwardly in the sparsely populated hallway for several seconds. "I'll…I'll see you then."

"Yeah." She replies then brushes past me and struts her way down the hall. Weird. She was civil. Not nice. But civil. Why? What's her angle? The bell chimes rousing me from my thoughts informing me that I have five minutes to get to class. I can think about Quinn's attitude change later.

Thankfully the day goes by quickly despite my anxiousness for it to end. Walking into the auditorium I see my mom already there setting up music on the piano.

"How was your day?" She asks with a smile once I've made it on stage. Smiling back I place my bag on the ground near the piano.

"It was good. A little strange. My history teacher, Mr. Gore, was fired this morning, so we had this really young upbeat and hyper substitute that was kind of insane." I say. She chuckles a little.

"Let me guess. Tall, blonde, too enthusiastic, likes to wear costumes and sing." I nod yes. "Holly Holiday. She's insane, but a great teacher."

"I'm sorry that Mr. Gore lost his job, but he did deserve it. And I actually like Ms. Holiday. I hope she stays." I say.

"With everything that's going on and what's going to happen, she'll probably stay for a while, but knowing her this won't be a permanent arrangement." She takes a seat at the piano. "How about we get you warmed up and run some scales to start off with?"

"Sure." We do the vocal exercises and go through the scales quickly before moving onto some songs. She's picked several that she claims will allow her to evaluate my breath control, my diction, and my vocal range. Most are from Broadway though there are a few pop songs. As we go through each one she gives me hints and tips whenever they're needed.

"You really are a very talented singer Rachel. You have a few minor problems with your breath control, but with some coaching and some cardio workouts that will go away. I also believe that we can improve your vocal range. I want you to work on _Take a Bow _so that we can go over it at our next lesson." My mom compliments and instructs.

"Thank you." I reply shyly. She smiles at me again.

"Did your parents sing?" She asks.

"They couldn't sing a lick. They loved music but they couldn't make it themselves." I answer; which is true. They weren't known for they singing ability, and I know from what 3M's told me about her parents that they couldn't sing either.

"Does your sister sing at all?"

"Yeah. But she's more into classic rock than show tunes."

"I guess it just skipped a generation or two. Your grandparents were most likely terrific singers," She says. I just nod my head. That may be true for 3M, but I know exactly where I got my talent from, and it didn't skip a generation. I just didn't get from my dad.

"So 3M is into classic rock." She says drawing out our conversation. It's almost as though she isn't ready to end the lesson. Maybe she isn't. Maybe this means that she likes me.

"Yeah. The only thing I ever hear at my house is CCR, Bruce Springsteen, and Van Halen. Not that there's anything wrong with those bands; they have some really great songs. It's just that I prefer Broadway and modern pop." I tell her.

"You and your sister are quite different. She has a quieter personality than you. More reserved, laidback. You guys also look nothing alike." Oh no. Does she suspect? Does she know? Calm down Rachel. If she knew she'd have said something by now.

"I take after my mom." I say simply. Not a lie either. As far as I can see, I'm like a mini me of Shelby. She smiles again.

"I know how that goes. My sister is very similar to how our father was. I on the other hand am a carbon copy of my mother."

"You have a sister?" I have an aunt? Cool. If everything goes okay, I hope that I get to meet her.

"Yeah. She's the only family I have. She lives down in Florida with her husband Josh." As she says this I can't help but notice that she seems rather sad. Maybe she does want a family. Maybe she will want me. Staring at each other in awkward contemplation a thought reenters my mind. I still haven't heard her sing.

"Do you think that maybe…" I hesitate unsure of myself.

"Do I think that maybe what?" My mom coaxes.

"Well, it's just that all the kids in glee say you have an amazing voice, and I haven't heard you sing anything other than scales." I say. She smiles understandingly.

"I'll sing, under one condition." She answers.

"What condition?"

"That you sing with me." I grin widely.

"Sure. I'd like that." She searches through her sheet music for a second before coming across something she deems worthy.

"How about a little _West Side Story_?" She hands me a copy of _Somewhere_. How fitting. When the music begins, she gestures for me to start.

_There's a place for us_

_Somewhere, a place for us_

_Peace and quiet and open air_

_Wait for us_

_Somewhere_

My mom jumps in making my heart nearly leap from my rib cage.

_**There's a time for us**_

_**Someday, a time for us**_

_**Time together with time to spare**_

_**Time to learn, time to care**_

_**Someday**_

I take over.

_Somewhere_

_We'll find a new way of living_

Maybe this song wasn't the best choice.

_**Oh, we'll find a way of forgiving**_

_**Somewhere**_

Don't cry. Don't cry.

_Somewhere_

We both sing the final verse.

_There's a place for us_

_A time and place for us_

_Hold my hand, and we're halfway there_

_Hold my hand, and I'll take you there_

_Somehow_

_Someday_

_Somewhere_

This is too much. She's too much. I need to get out of here before I break down. Clearing her throat my mom breaks the uncomfortable stillness that's fallen over the room.

"So. What's the verdict?" She asks. Taking as deep a breath as I can manage, I attempt to control my emotions.

"It was great. You were great." My voice sounds shaky even to my ears. Bending quickly I scope up my bag. "Um…I need to go. 3M's waiting for me." I flee hastily leaving a confused Shelby behind.

* * *

Shelby's POV

Tossing my keys on the end table in my entryway I slip off my shoes and jacket. I can smell something delectable wafting from the kitchen. Having a man that can cook real meals, not just Stouffer's frozen dinners, is amazing. Now when I work late I can still eat a home cooked meal, instead of the takeout I usually have. Will's just setting the table when I wander into the dining room.

"Hey. How was your lesson with Rachel?" He asks serving us both a glass of Merlot. I peck his check in greeting before sitting down.

"It was…interesting." I answer.

"How so?"

"Well. It started out wonderfully. Picking songs for her was easier than most students since she actually enjoys all of my favorite music; so I didn't have to search through unfamiliar genres for decent songs. And her singing is phenomenal. We also had a nice conversation afterward." I say.

"It sounds like you had a pleasant time."

"I did. But then she asked me to sing a song. I told her that I would if she sung with me."

"What happened then?" He asks taking a sip of his wine.

"We sang _Somewhere _and it was energizing to sing with her, but when the song finished she looked as though she was going to cry. She mumbled some excuse and fled before I could ask her what was wrong."

"Odd." He remarks. I exhale loudly.

"There's just something strange about her and her sister. 3M's so closed off. She never speaks of her past. And Rachel is always so jumpy around me."

"Maybe you intimidate her." He supplies.

"But she admires me." I counter. Shrugging his shoulders he grabs a piece of bread.

"So. Sometimes that can make a person even more intimidating; if you're afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of the person you look up to." Stabbing a carrot I think over what he's said. It makes sense. If I were ever to meet Barbra, I'd probably be worse.

"But that doesn't explain her sister's behavior. I feel like whenever I'm around her she's analyzing me. Like she knows something that I don't, like she's hiding something." Sighing he places his fork on the table.

"I think that you're freaking out about finding your daughter, so in order to distract yourself, your mind is making you read into things. Besides, some people tend to be more reserved than others." He stands up taking our empty plates into the kitchen. Several seconds later he returns with a large box covered in wrapping paper and a bow.

"I picked this up on my way over here." He says handing me the present.

"What is it?" I ask curiously.

"Open it and find out." Eying him I tear off the black paper covered in gold stars to discover…a Keurig. Is it possible to love this man any more than I already do? I shift my gaze up to his smiling face.

"I knew that you'd be at the school for a while and that you wouldn't get a chance to buy a new one tonight. I thought that it'd be something nice that I could do for you since you've been dealing with so much stress lately." Standing up I situate myself on his lap and curl my arms behind his head.

"You are the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for." I tell him before bringing our lips together for a gentle kiss. Reluctantly I pull away and begin to drag my hands through his hair.

"Is that so?" He teasingly remarks. Taking one of my hands from his hair I run it up and down his chest.

"Yes. But you know what would make you an even better one?" I whisper seductively.

"What?" He questions; his hands sliding lower on my back.

"If you'd help me set it up." His smile falters slightly as I let out a hearty laugh.

* * *

Saturday Rachel's POV

Currently I'm standing before my bed with several outfit strewn upon it. It's not that I'm trying to impress Quinn; because I could honestly care less what the cheerleader thinks of me. I just want to receive the minimal number of insults as possible, if I'm going to be spending hours with her. I don't want to end up in a fight. Despite the fact that I've always been a good kid I'm still an orphan that has spent six years in the system. I've been in my fair share of battles, many of which I caused. For my small size I'm actually a decent fighter. I never really won any of the fights, but then again most of the kids I was going up against were in gangs. Sighing I throw my puppy sweater and my penguin sweater into the no pile. Quinn's made it very clear on many occasions that she finds the animal sweaters horrendous.

"Need some help?" A voice startles me from the doorway.

"You should really walk louder or something. One of these days you're going to give me a heart attack." Chuckling with her ever present smirk 3M wanders her way into my room and takes a seat on my bed with a quirk of her brow.

"I'm trying to find something to wear that she won't criticize the entire time we're working on our song." I say once it's clear that she won't be speaking. She considers me for a moment before grabbing a knee length black skirt and a red plain long sleeve top from the heap of clothes on my bed. Rising she snatches a red headband from the dresser and tosses it to me.

"It is still your style, but relatively neutral. There should not be too much complaint." Looking down at the outfit I decide that it'll work. I need to leave soon anyways.

"Have you decided when you will tell her?" 3M asks again.

"Nothing's changed since you asked me last night." I respond curtly escaping to the bathroom to change.

The drive over to Quinn's is awkward at best. No singing. No music. No conversation. 3M's been pressuring me more and more lately to expose my true identity. That the longer I wait the harder it'll be. The longer I wait the more stressed I'll become. But the thing is, I'm just not ready. I know now that she's a good person, and that I wouldn't have too many problems living with her, but I still have no clue if she wants me. Coming to a stop in front of a huge white house with a beautiful lawn, I breathe deeply and turn to 3M.

"I'll call you when we're done." She nods her head in reply then faces the road waiting for me to depart from her truck. Marching up to the door I ring the bell and wait with baited breath. I'm about to ring again when the door swings open to reveal an older blonde woman, that I assume is Quinn's mom, greeting me with a kind smile.

"Hi. You must be Rachel. Quinny said that you'd be by today." She offers me her hand to shake.

"Yes I am. And thank you Mrs. Fabray for opening your home to me.

"Please, call me Judy." She says as she directs me into the luxurious home. "Quinn's room is right up stairs. Let me show you the way." We climb up a grand staircase and down the hallway stopping at the fifth door. Softly knocking on the cream door she calls out to her daughter.

"Quinn! Your friend is here."

"One second!" Judy looks at me.

"If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." She then turns and heads back downstairs. The door opens as I'm watching Judy leave. Moving my gaze back to the room I see Quinn standing there. I'm surprised that she's wearing normal clothes and not her Cheerios' uniform.

"Hello." I say.

"Hey." We stare at each other in uncomfortable silence.

"Um…come on in." She invites after a moment. Observing her room as I walk in I find it to be an average teenage girl's bedroom. Schoolbooks scattered about, posters of various pop bands hanging on the walls, clothes laying on a chair in the corner.

"Nice room."

"Thanks." Again we fall into an uneasy staring match. "So…Um…Broadway is really not my thing. I hope you have a song in mind cause I'm lost when it comes to show tunes." She breaks the match. Nodding my head I place my bag on the ground and riffle through it for my i-Pod, courtesy of 3M, and the sheet music of the different songs I have in mind.

"Well, I brought a number of songs that I really love. Though, I'm not entirely sure what your vocal range is." I spread the music out on her bed for her to browse through.

"How about this one?" She asks holding up a paper. A wide smile spreads across my face at the choice.

"It's perfect."

We practice for about two hours on the song, before calling it good saying that we'll go over it once more before we perform.

"You know Mauer, you're not as bad as I thought. And I'm sorry about hounding you on the whole Puck thing." She says as I'm packing up.

"I can understand how one would come to the conclusion that we're a couple. We do have a strangely close relationship, but I view him as a brother. Not a potential boyfriend." Hesitating for fear of her reaction I cautiously say my next words. "And I know that you're interested in him, but I really do think that you could do better." Sighing she sits down on her bed.

"I know. It's just that since I've joined glee my popularity status has dropped a lot. I know that that seems really shallow, but it's all I have. I recently found out that my dad's been cheating on my mom for years. And she knows, she just pretends it's not happening. All this family ever does is pretend nothing's happening. If we sweep it under the rug then nothing is wrong. If we can't see it there's no problem. I guess I just thought that if I was dating the second most popular guy in the school that I'd get my popularity back. That could have that one constant in my life again." Unsure of myself I slowly place a hand on her shoulder.

"You know, you say your popularity is everything, but do any of those people actually care about you? If you were in trouble, would you trust them to help you? In a couple of years those superficial friendships won't matter. I think that you need to focus on developing friendships with people that ten years from now you'll still be talking to." She gives me a small smile.

"You're probably right." She fidgets with her hands for a while thinking over what I've just said.

"I can't help but ask, why the second most popular and not the first?" She laughs.

"Finn is the most popular, and let's just say I've been there, done that and never want to again." She pauses a moment then looks at me with a curious expression. "I was talking to Puck earlier and he said that you're going through some things. Is there anything that I can do to help?" I sigh and look away.

"Not really."

"Oh." Glancing back at her I decide to tell her a little of my story; obviously leaving out the part where Shelby's my mom.

"My parents died when I was eight. I was in foster care until recently when 3M stepped in. She been living off and on in Africa doing humanitarian work for the last couple of years."

"Oh…I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." And queue the awkward silence.

"Um…did…did you want to stay for dinner?" I smile at her.

"Sure. I'd like that."

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**Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you thought.**


	15. Of Messengers and Murder

**Here is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. Thank you to all who inquired of my health. Not much has changed yet but I'm still alive so that's a positive. Please review. I appreciate them very much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't know Glee. **

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Sunday 3M's POV

Gently knocking on Rachel's door I try to formulate what there is that I can say to help her to understand my persistence. Why it is that she should not wait to reveal herself. Upon receiving no answer I gingerly push open the door and peek my head around. Rachel is laying on her back absentmindedly staring at the ceiling. Cautiously I move into the room, stopping near the closet to rest my back against the doorjamb with my hands clasped in front of me.

"I know that I have been a bit pushy lately, and for that I apologize." She remains still and unmoving in her position on the bed.

"I do wish though, that you would at least consider telling her at some point in the near future." I continue after minutes go by without a response save for the occasional blink.

"I'm not ready." She says flatly.

"I do not think anyone could ever be ready to face such a situation." Sighing she closes her eyes tightly as though she is struggling to keep a flood of tears at bay.

"It's just…I'm afraid that she won't want me. She's perfect. And I'm…not. I'd just be disrupting her life. She has a career. She has a boyfriend. I'd just make everything so much more complicated for her. Why would she want that? Why would she want me?" She lets her fears out at a volume only slightly louder than a whisper. Observant Rachel is obviously not. Either that or she is letting her insecurities blind her. She would not be this frightened if she had seen the looks that I have seen expressed on her mother's face. The longing that is ever present when she watches an interaction between a student and their parent. The sorrow that clouds her hazel eyes when a fellow teacher describes an outing or an event that they shared with their children. The bittersweet smile that appears when one of her students achieves a goal and at the excitement they show at the praise they know they will receive from their parents. Praise that she believes she will never be able to give.

"No one is perfect." I pause as I move closer to sit on the edge of her desk. "You do not for certain that she does not want you."

"I also don't know for certain that she does want me." She points out. Regarding her carefully I attempt to assist her in seeing her own worth.

"I think that you are selling yourself short. You have a lot more to offer than you believe. If she cannot see how talented and how special a girl you are; how lucky she is that she has a chance to know you and to love you, well then she does not deserve you in her life." As she turns her head to look at me, I can see clearly the tear tracks glistening down her face. The heartbreak and pure terror evident in her eyes. The slight tremble in her jaw as she fights back a sob. In that moment she looks the youngest I have ever seen her. Even younger than when I first found her bloodied and unconscious in that alley back in Seattle. I do not think my heart has ever ached as badly as it does now, witnessing this young girl's emotional turmoil.

"I know that you are afraid of her rejection. And I know that this will be difficult to hear, but in the end what difference does it make if you receive it tomorrow, or next week. Either way she hurts you." I say hopeful that she will not respond to the ugly truth with anger.

"If I get rejected next week, then that is a whole week more of memories that I can have."

"That may be true, but…the more time you spend with her, the more you come to love her, and the harder it will be to take that rejection." She steers her gaze away as the tears come faster and harder than before. Standing up I go to leave in order to provide her space to think, but I stop myself in the doorway. "And Mausi, my offer still stands. You must know though, that if I become your legal guardian I will always be your friend, but I will never be your mother. Just…think over what I have said." I turn and walk toward the living room to let her mull over our conversation.

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Monday Shelby's POV

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Rings out through my still house rousing me from sleep. Peeling my eyes open I glance at the clock next to my bed. 4:04 AM glares at me in green numbers. Who in the world would be coming here at four in the morning?

"Who's at the door?" Will mumbles from beside me. I shrug my shoulders in response, though I doubt his eyes are even open to see it.

_Bang! Bang! Bang! _The pounding starts again. Sighing deeply I throw off the covers, slip on a robe and stumble my way to the front door. I take a peek through the peephole to see…no one? Flinging the door open in confusion, I scan the yard and the street looking for the person responsible for the disturbance. Seeing no signs of movement I'm about to step back inside when I notice an envelope resting on my welcome mat. Stooping I pick up the delivered letter with my name printed neatly across the top. Looking up I again search the surrounding area for the mysterious messenger. When they cease to be found I close the door, head to my living room and flip on the lights. Tearing open the envelope I pull out the letter within. Gasping I nearly faint when I read the title of the documents and the names attached.

Contract of Surrogacy

Recipient(s): Hiram Berry, Leroy Berry

Surrogate/Donor: Shelby Corcoran

Collapsing onto the couch I drop the pages on the ground from shock. It's the contract. The one thing that has been the bane of my existence for fourteen years. Always keeping me from my daughter. But now that bane is the answers to my prayers. Now I don't need to have a DNA test run. Now I don't have to wait months to meet my child. Now I can finally get my chance to raise her.

"Shelby?" I feel a hand clasping my shoulder as I vaguely register Will calling to me. "Shelby? Are you alright?" Shaking my head I bring myself out of the mind-space I've been in. Looking up into Will's concerned eyes I slowly reached down to grab the papers that had fallen from my grasp earlier and hand them to him. Confusion passes over his face as he takes them. As he begins to read his confusion turns to mirror the shock that is most likely still evident in my own expression.

"Is this…"

"Yes." I whisper. He's staring at me now but I don't move. Setting the contract down on the table he seizes the phone from its cradle dialing a number. In the background of my jumbled thought I hear his half of the conversation.

"Hey, Emma. I'm so terribly sorry for calling this early, but Shelby and I aren't going to be able to make it to school today." He pauses taking a glance at me. "Something's come up." He hesitates. "It's a family emergency; I'll explain more later." Her reply is given. "We'll see you later. Okay. Thank you. Bye." Hanging up he turns his attention back to me.

"Shelby? Are you okay?" Blinking for the first time since opening the envelope I reply in an unconvincing tone.

"I…I'm…I'm fine. I'm okay. Just…" He grasps my hand in his and takes a seat next to me.

"I'm going to call social services and see if we can move the meeting to today. Is that okay?" I just nod my head as an answer. He squeezes my hand before standing and dialing the number for Stan's office. I don't listen to this conversation; I'm too focused on what will be Rachel's reaction to me. Will she be happy? Will she be angry? Will she be open and responsive? Or will she be closed off and distant? What are her likes and dislikes? Will she be able to stand me?

"He should be here around seven." Will says breaking off my musings. I look at the clock to see that it's now five-thirty. How long was I sitting here staring before Will came down? "How about you go upstairs and take a shower?" He offers. I nod and make my way to the bathroom in a fog. It's not until the scolding water pelts my skin burning it, that I come out of the daze I've been stuck in for over an hour now. The whole situation hits me full force as I break down with a strangled cry and collapse.

By the time that the sobs have subsided the water has turned frigid. Reaching up I turn the handle to off, and climb out now ready to face the social worker, having released my emotions. I dress quickly, putting on not only my normal Coach Corcoran attire but my Coach Corcoran façade as well. Authoritative. Calculated. Confident. In control. That's what I need to be. Looking in the mirror I take a deep breath and turn to go to see where Will has disappeared to. I find him in the kitchen already dressed, making coffee.

"He'll be here any minute." He says sensing my presence. Spinning to face me, he goes to say more, but I give him a look that clearly states that now is not the time to be discussing my emotions. Right now it's time for business. I'm eternally grateful for all that he's done for me, and for the comfort I'll no doubt receive later, but I need to have a level head. I can't be a blubbering mess when Stan arrives. Accepting an offered cup of coffee I gulp down the liquid in two swallows, and begin my pacing. I walk from the kitchen table to the door to my office and back; each time glaring at the sluggish tick of the clock as I pass. When the doorbell finally clangs, I'm sure that I've worn a path in my carpet. My shoulders are tense with anxiety and I'm about to explode with nervous energy. Will greets the man and shows him into the dining room.

"Hello. You must be Ms. Corcoran? I'm Stan Arnold." He introduces sticking his arm out for a handshake. He's a short balding man with a small potbelly spilling over his belt. His hands are clammy with sweat and his head is almost dripping with grease. Pushing his glasses back into position he takes a seat and produces a multitude of files from his overstuffed leather bag.

"Would you like something to drink?" I ask, to which he dismisses with a wave of his hand.

"Now before we begin, you have the contract, yes?" He gets right down to business, shuffling some papers around not even glancing up.

"Yes. Here." I respond handing him the contract and my driver's license as proof of identity. Taking the documents he scans through and compares names. After a few moments he sets the pages down takes off his glasses and sighs.

"Your story checks out Ms. Corcoran; you are Rachel Berry's mother and per the agreement if both men were to die you are to get full custody of her. But, there's something that you should know." He gives me a sympathetic expression.

"And that would be?" I really don't like that look. He clears his throat and shifts uneasily in the chair.

"About four years ago, Rachel was adopted by a family from Seattle." My shoulders tense even more than I thought was possible. Before I can talk he continues. "She was with them for about three months before an issue arose and she was removed and place back into the system, but she was placed in Washington. She was not brought back here to Ohio."

"So it will take her a little longer to get here?" Will questions. Stan opens his mouth but I cut him off.

"What was the issue?" I demand in a tight voice. If someone so much as laid a pinky on my daughter, so help them, I'll make their lives a living hell. He rests a hand on a stack of files.

"You can read all about what happened there and whatever else you may want to know in these files which I'll be leaving with you." He hesitates. "Six months ago Rachel was placed at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow Orphanage in downtown Seattle. She was a quiet kid that keep mostly to herself. Never really caused much trouble. But a couple of weeks ago the nuns called everyone to breakfast and Rachel didn't come down. When the nuns went to get her from her room, she and all her stuff were gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone? Did she run away? Where is she?" My voice raises with each question. He shakes his head.

"She ran away…but we don't exactly know where she is." He fumbles out.

"What do you mean you don't exactly know where she is? You either know or you don't."

"Well you see…after she was discovered missing they informed the police. When the unit was out on patrol they found her belongings strewn about in an alleyway." He informs carefully. My breathing quickens as what he's implying sinks in. Rachel may have been kidnap. Oh God! What if she's dead? No. No. No. This can't be happening.

"Shelb-" Will goes to set his hand atop mine, but I bolt up to tower over the smelly little man seated at my table.

"My daughter may be dead! And you didn't even have the decency to tell me?!" I screech.

"Please Ms. Corcoran, I had no way of know whether or not you actually are her mother. I can't just be giving out that information to anyone. You must understand-"

"Understand? Understand. Understand this you imbecile! For fourteen years! All I've wanted is a chance to raise my daughter. And when her parents died you and your incompetent police department were too inept to figure out that I was her mother! So for six years she's be suffering with no one to comfort! And now you're telling me that just because I didn't have a stupid…" I grab the contract shaking it in the air out of anger. "…piece of paper! That I couldn't be informed of her disappearance?!" I rant.

"Please Ms. Corcoran. You need to calm down." He only adds fuel to the fire.

"Calm down? I will not calm down!" I storm out of the room as I hear Will attempt to smooth over the incident.

"She's just upset right now. Maybe it would be best if you came back at another date. Give her some time to absorb the shock of it all."

"Perhaps that would be best." He says as he prepares to leave.

I'm stalking around my music room trying not to punch the wall when Will comes in minutes later. No matter how satisfying that would be, it be temporary followed by pain and even more frustration.

"Shelby?" Will whispers as though he's seen a ghost. Pivoting to stare at him I observe his pale complexion and shaking hands holding one of the files Stan left.

"What is it?" I ask walking over taking the papers from him. Looking down I find a picture of my daughter from last year. The face is familiar. But it's not familiar in the sense that she looks like me, though she does look like me; it's familiar because I've seen this face. It's Rachel Mauer's face. Wait. Rachel's my daughter? But how? And why? And the kidnapping? It hits me like a ton of bricks. 3M. Dashing out of the room I race to my car ignoring Will's protests. I don't even grab a coat despite the downpour happening outside. There's only one thing on my mind right now. 3M is dead.

* * *

Quinn's POV

"Hey Rachel!" I shout out to the small girl when I spot her heading toward the choir room for morning practice. Turing she gives me a curious look, and stops to let me catch up. "Were we going to sing today or wait till later in the week?" I ask once I've reached her. She shrugs and continues forward.

"I don't really care. If you want to wait and practice the song a couple more times that's fine." She says.

"If no one else is prepared we can go, but I'd prefer if we went later. Gives us a gage on our competition." Nodding her head in agreement she comes to the choir room door and halts again.

"I agree. It's always good to have an edge. Are you coming this morning?"

"Yeah, but I have to drop a book off in Mr. Warren's room first." I answer.

"I'll see you in a few then." She responds and move toward my science teacher's room.

"Why are you being so nice to Man Hands?" Santana spits coming to flank my left. I roll my eyes at the question. It's true that I didn't like her in the beginning. And yes I had an ulterior motive when I invited her over on Saturday. After my talk with Puck I now believe that they're telling the truth that they're not dating, but there is still something so odd about their relationship. They've only know each other for like two weeks and they're already acting like they've known each other for years. It's kind of creepy, to tell you the truth. Despite that, I surprisingly had a really fun time hanging out with her. Unlike the cheerleaders I usually do things with, she actually was interested in more than just talking about herself. Although I can't let Santana know this. My popularity has already taking a huge hit with glee; I can't imagine what being friends with her would do.

"We got paired up in the duet. We were just discussing it, besides Ms. Corcoran already wants my head. I don't want to give her anymore reason to kill me." I say, none of which is a lie.

"Man I wish that Figgins was still around. I hate that I can't just go around and assert my superiority over the losers anymore."

"You do realize that almost everyone in glee is a loser right?" I point out.

"Yeah. Just because I sing with them, it doesn't make them my friends." She sashay her way off. Unlike her I'm glad that Figgins is gone. Maybe now I'll be able to be friends with Rachel and not have to worry about my status.

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Rachel's POV

Sighing I glance up at the clock for the third time in just as many minutes. Everyone is here except Mr. Shue and my mom. We only have a couple of minutes before school starts and we're supposed to be going over the plans for the week. The door opens and all of our heads swing to look, expecting our coaches to come in. Instead 3M walks in.

"Where's Coach C and Mr. Shue?" Noah asks the question on all our minds.

"Apparently they called in this morning stating that there was a family emergency." 3M informs.

"Are they okay?" I'm quick to ask, knowing that she'll understand what I'm truly asking. _Is my mom okay?_

"I do not know what is going on. But I was left with instructions to give you these." She responds handing out a paper copy of this week's agenda. "I was also told to get you guys brainstorming on songs for Nationals, so does anyone have any ideas?" Just as she's finishing her sentence the door is flung open again. It smacks into the wall with a _bam_.

Standing in the doorway is my mom. She drenched from head to toe and her chest is heaving as though she just ran a marathon. The look in her eyes is wild and crazy. I can tell by the look on everyone's faces that they've never been as scared of her before as they are now. My mother's gaze lands on 3M and her eyes narrow dangerously.

"Ms. Corcoran? I was told that you would not b-" Before 3M can complete her thought my mom's charged right up to her and punch her square in the jaw. Pain and confusion flash across 3M's face as the entire room stills in shock as the scene unfolds. Just as 3M turns to face my mom again Shelby throws another blow, this time to the nose and we all cringe as we hear the sickening crack. 3M staggers back but turns, this time ready to defend against an incoming stroke; only my mother doesn't go for a punch. Instead she tackles 3M to the ground. They roll around wrestling while my mother continues to hammer blow after blow to 3M's body. Smears of 3M's crimson blood cover the floor as they fight. No one knows what to do. Thankfully Mr. Shue and Ms. Pillsbury come rushing in moments before it seems that my mom is going to kill 3M.

"SHELBY STOP!" Mr. Shue yells as both Ms. Pillsbury and he drag her off of 3M.

"YOU SICK PERVERT! I'LL KILL YOU! BY THE TIME I'M DONE WITH YOU YOU'LL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN!" She screams fighting against the restraints. In this time 3M's stood up and begun wiping at the blood pouring down her face.

"PUCK! GET OVER HERE!" Mr. Shue shouts as he starts to lose his hold on my mom. Puck's on his feet in an instant helping. "Rachel stay here! The rest of you get to class! NOW!" He orders. As the member bolt from the room, I sit shell shocked.

"Let me explain." 3M starts.

"LET YOU EXPLAIN WHAT! YOU DISGUSTING PIECE OF TRASH! I'LL KILL YOU FOR EVER TOUCHING MY DAUGHTER!" Puck's grip slips when she says this as the puzzle falls into place, giving her enough leverage to break free. She charges again too quickly for the three of them to catch her.

"STOP!" I yell. My mom freezes mid stride to look at me. The fury in her eyes diminishes as she stares at me. "Just stop." I repeat.

"Rachel, maybe you should wait outside." 3M says and the fury returns full force.

"YOU DON'T TELL MY DAUGHTER WHAT TO DO! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU SORDID PEDOPHILE!" She screams again moving to attack. Jumping in front of the German I use my body as a barrier hoping that it'll stop my mom. She crashes into me but it stops her. She goes to push me behind her but I refuse to budge. Gripping her arms I force her to look at me.

"STOP! She's not a pedophile!" I say trying to calm her down enough so that everything can be explained. Her eyes fall to mine and again they seem to have a tranquilizing effect on her.

"Rachel sh-"

"She didn't kidnap me. She saved me." The anger lessens in favor of confusion and I feel her shoulder relax slightly.

"How?"

"I ran away, and when I was on my way to the train station I was mugged by three men. They knocked me unconscious and she found me. She then drove me all the way from Seattle to here in order to find you." Her gaze drifts to 3M skeptically.

"Why didn't she call the police and bring you to a hospital?" She asks a valid question, but I have an answer.

"Long story short, I was wearing the orphanage shirt and she has a major distrust of the system. She's also a doctor."

"When you got here why didn't you come to me immediately?" I falter on this one as what's just happened sinks in. My mother knows the truth. Oh God. My hands slip from her arms in shock.

"I…I…You…"

"She wanted to know what type of a person you were before telling you. She's also afraid of your rejection." 3M speaks up. Except this time my mother's eyes don't fill with rage, they fill with tears.

"I need to go do damage control. This whole thing has probably already made it to half the district." Ms. Pillsbury says scurrying off.

"Puck I think that you should head to class. 3M why don't I help you get cleaned up." Mr. Shue says. I watch her limp out of the room from the corner of my eye but I don't remove my gaze from my mother's until everyone has left. I collapse onto a nearby chair.

"Rachel…"

"If you don't want me I understand. I know that I can be a little high maintenance a lot of the time. And I know that you weren't expecting me to show up in your life until I'm at least eighteen. And…" She grabs my face forcing me to look her in the eyes, effectively cutting off my rant.

"Rachel." She says gently wiping the tears that keep slipping from my eyes. She smiles and begins laughing, which causes me to stare in confusion. Why is she laughing? Dragging me forward into a tight hug she rubs her hand up and down my back. "The entire time that you've been here I've been searching for you everywhere." She pulls back and holds my face again. "I love you so much Rachel. And I will never leave you okay." She says. Falling into her arms I cry letting out all my pain taking comfort from my mother as she strokes my back murmuring to me and humming softly. I let myself melt into her reassuring warmth and smell.

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**Thank you for reading. Please review. I don't know when the next chapter will be up. It maybe a long while from now. If the story is not updated within two months from this update, I give my permission to anyone who wants to finish it. But not before those two months. I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter up soon.**

**~ Shadow Dogma**


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